Tekken: Redemption (Season 2)
by MartialArtsLover07
Summary: The second season of Tekken: Redemption is here. Won't spoil too much, other than, that it will be a little different. For one thing, the first few chapters will be about Jun, six months before Jin went on an adventure in the 1st season and soon... Wait and see. All characters belong to the Bandai Namco (except Xavier) and the image to its respective owner
1. A New Job

**Chapter 1: A New Job**

It was a cool summer's night... somewhere within the inner city of Hong Kong, there was this one apartment, which is housing only one person... a middle-aged lady, was sitting on a couch in her living-room, taking a sip out of her cup of tea, just enjoying her work-free evening... when all of a sudden, the phone began ringing. She gently puts the cup on the table and swiftly sweeps the phone in her one hand, before picking up...

"Hello?"

...and as it turns out, the person calling her was no other than her loyal colleague... Lei Wulong. His typical, cheerful and laid-back greeting already made her gently grin at ease.

"Heeey, it's me, Lei!"

"Oh! Hehe, nice to hear from you, Lei..."

But she had to giggle to herself, since it was TOTALLY unlike Lei to call her in the middle of the night like that, as she got know, he HATED to call at that time of the day, since he wanted to enjoy his booze in peace... so she had to question it.

"Excuse my question, but... what is it, that makes you call me this late? Knowing you, you NEVER do that, so what is the matter?"

This made the middle-aged police man laugh in an awkward way, as he was scratching his head with an embarrassment-filled grin on the other end of the line...

"True, true, but I can assure you, this is not some kind of joke I am trying to play on you and trust me, I am the master of ridicule. And sorry if I am disturbing anything, but I have someone on the line, that needs to talk with you and it's a little urgent... mind taking over?"

The woman had to sigh a little in sadness, since she was already set on relaxing for the rest of the night by preparing a nice and relaxing bubble bath... but being the selfless person she actually she is, she had to giggle and show her approval.

"Sign me up, I will take care of this."

Lei exhaled in a relieved way.

"Thanks, you're really saving my life right now. Anyways, see you, I am leaving the office now..."

"Alright, bye-bye."

And then, he switched the contact over to the person calling him to let the signal travel to her phone... and as it turns out, it was an old man on the other line. And it was her to start the conversation with the mysterious man.

"Good evening, how may I help you?"

"Ahhh, hello, am I speaking to, ummm..."

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds and the lady could hear stomping in the background, obviously indicating that the man was looking for something... but finally, after thirty seconds, he finally returned and looked at the note in his hand.

"Am I speaking to... Jun Kazama?"

Jun had to nod and giggle at this man's clumsiness.

"Yes, that's me. I am Jun Kazama, from Interpol Hong Kong... how may I help you, Mr. ummm..."

"Luis. Simply call me Luis, Ms. Kazama..."

"Sure, ummm... Luis, why is your request urgent? What's the problem?"

"I know, this may sound strange, but... someone is asking for your assistance in an orphanage, somewhere in Mexico."

"Are there criminals on the loose, that threaten them to do whatever they please?"

Luis had to laugh a little, since it was the total opposite.

"No, this job does not actually involve you hunting down any troublemakers, more like... the client actually wants you to watch over the children at the orphanage, that he and an old lady share ownership over. The reason, why he needs you, is because the lady has fallen sick and that she actually needed some rest for a while... and according to him, he is a busy guy, that can't always afford to be there for the children, so he needs a trustworthy replacement and he just happened to have suggested you, out of all the people over there at Interpol... so will you accept?"

This announcement made her surprised indeed. Interpol is certainly no place, where you can apply for personal baby-sitters, as it was not part of their job to watch over children like this in general... however, Jun being the selfless and reliable woman that she is, having grown to know how to raise a child before, she kindly agreed on this man's request, despite having a few doubts...

"You do realize, that it's not Interpol's job to watch over orphans, but... we can make exceptions. I will be on my way, just give me the address of the orphanage and I will be right there..."

And so, as the man began spilling out the important information and even giving her his phone number for safety purposes, should she get lost along the way, it all then ends with Jun asking something regarding the client.

"But I'd like to know... who was it, that asked me to come over? By any chance, do you happen to know this individual? Have you seen him or her personally before?"

"Ummm, it may shock you for sure, but... I can't tell who it was. This guy came to my agency and the things, that were distinct about him, was his tall frame and some kind extraordinaire mask that only wrestlers would wear... not to mention, he completely forgot to tell me his name and before I could ask who he was, he was already a goner. Fortunately, he left what seems to be his phone number behind, so... as soon as you arrive, I will give him a call and let him know, that you are waiting at the airport, so that he can go and pick you up. Just call me, as soon as you arrive and he will be right on his way."

He then chuckled, as it was clumsy of him to not note down the name.

"And while I am at it, I might as well ask him, what his name was again... that's a thing, when you are in a hurry, you are ALWAYS in risk of screwing up BAD."

Jun found this man's quirkiness very amusing, so she had to chuckle, as it was so true in itself... but this didn't solve the problem of who asked for her help.

"That's strange, strange indeed... well, I suppose, I might have to solve this mystery for myself then. I will be right on my way. Expect me to arrive tomorrow night..."

"You have my thanks, Ms. Kazama. I am sure, this man will be happy to hear the news of you having taken the contract."

The female Kazama may not know, who it was, that gave her this task, but the task alone gave her the impression, that this said person has got to be not so bad after all... and then, she giggled again at the thought of watching after orphans.

"My pleasure... and before you worry about me, probably not possessing the nerve to know how to deal with kids or early teenagers, there is no need in worrying about me. I know what I am doing, I know which buttons to press with youngsters."

"That's good, hehehe... if it hadn't been for my age, I might handle my son better, but hey, we never get any younger, do we?"

And with that, Jun jumped off of her couch, before stretching and letting out a loud groan in pleasure.

"No, hehe. Well then, thank you for the call. Now if you would excuse me, I will now go and prepare myself for the trip over to New Mexico. Sayonara."

"Goodbye."

And with that, the guy hung up... this was the signal for Jun to get over to her laptop, put on her glasses and search for the cheapest ticket she could find to get to America. And after a few hours, she found one ticket, that was cheap and short-termed as possible... she gave her credit card information, waits for the money to be exchanged with the ticket and when the download was finished, she nodded and prepared herself for the trip to America... but before she thought about leaving, she decided to make herself look as fine as possible, because it was a habit of hers to always make sure, that she is an eye-catcher, even with it not really being intentional... so she packs her stuff, quickly gives Lei a call on his phone, that she will not come tomorrow, because of the contract being a special case, that may take much longer to complete than a day, takes her car keys and her handbag, closes and secures the door behind her and then heads for her car... she throws her bag on the backseat, jumps inside, turns on the engine and drives off to head for the airport, but along the way, she heard screams of terror around the next corner through her open window. She abruptly stopped the car close to a corner shop and ran out of the car to face whatever horror that one person was facing right now and to her shock, she saw three men, attacking a little boy, who had a pork bun in his one hand... it seemed like, he tried to steal it from one of the men, since a restaurant was right next to them and judging by the looks of the kid, he seemed to be a homeless boy, just wanting some food to survive the night...

Man #1: "Hey! Who gave you permission to touch our food?!"

Man #2: "Yeah, we paid for it, you take your filthy fingers away!"

Man #3: "Seriously, go and find a job instead of bothering others, you little piece of shit!"

Kid: "B-But please, I-I was hungry...! I don't have any money with me...! Leave me alone!"

Suddenly, one of the men pulled a knife and began holding it close to the poor boy's face...

Man #2: "Oh, do not worry, we will leave you alone... in hell!"

?: "Stop it right now!"

And once the men turned around to see who was jumping in for the young man, they had to realize... it was Jun Kazama. She looked at the three men with a sorrowful look, as she wanted to approach this situation with care and patience, as using too much violence was not a solution in any way... and it was a trademark of hers among her other colleagues, that she was more of a peaceful nature, never to use force, only when it really calls for it and this is what made her so popular at Interpol... even though she isn't fond of this person hype around her, as she only does her job as she is told to do. Obviously, the men weren't pleased to see her and since she wasn't wearing her typical uniform as a cop, they don't think much of her and don't see her as a real threat... and because of her good looks, one of the man with the knife approached her with a sleazy grin...

Man #2: "My, my, m'lady, getting all bossy here... y'know, if it wasn't for this little waste of space down here, I would honestly ask you out on a date, if you would allow me... you got the looks and the attitude, I like that..."

"Leave this kid alone, right now... aren't you ashamed of yourself, beating up someone who is weaker than you? Where is your dignity?"

Man #2: "Look, this boy down here tried to steal our well-deserved dinner! After a hard day's work, we deserve to fill our stomachs with good food and booze, it's only natural... and since there are way more many of them, why not just simply put them out of their misery? No hunger, no suffering, it's THAT simple..."

But this only made Jun angry on the inside, since she hated this kind of life-style... every human being has a right to live, even the poor ones... so she swiftly turned her head to the man, who was playing with the knife and looked at him with a piercing look and the tone in her voice made it all too clear, she was not approving of this kind of behaviour one bit...

"Are you serious...? Killing someone, that isn't as "valuable" as you, is considered a favour for them...? I DARE you... to say that again to my face."

Man #2: "Oh come on, lighten up, it's just a little boy! He isn't that much of a threat now, is he? Besides, in his current state, he won't achieve anything in life anyway, so it won't be a huge loss if he dies..."

And just then, the man actually dared to touch Jun by her shoulder and as soon as his hand came in contact with her skin, she felt alarmed... especially since that man was playfully brushing the edge of his little blade against her bare arm without really touching her...

Man #2: "Why don't you mind your own business? Aren't you supposed to go somewhere, doing woman stuff and all?"

"I am warning you... don't you do something, that you are going to regret afterwards..."

The man had to admit, that she was really starting to creep him out... how she hasn't run away in fear yet, was beyond him and his friends... and because of her having watched everything, they couldn't allow her to run to the police... so they just decided to go through with what they initially planned on doing in the first place...

Man #2: "So you won't leave...? Good. Boys, grab him!"

Suddenly, his companions grabbed the little boy, who really started to cry now, as he knew, what they are going to do to him.

Boy: "No, no! Please no!"

Man #1: "Hold still, you little brat!"

Man #3: "It will be all over soon, my boy!"

This was the signal for Jun, as the situation was significantly getting worse... she looked at the man next to her, who was holding the knife and began to look at him sad, pleading eyes... as she knew, what was coming next...

"This is your last chance, stop it now, or it won't end well, I mean it!"

Man #2: "Too late, because now..."

He began twisting the knife in his one hand...

Man #2: "...this little crap-barrel..."

...as he began targeting the young man's throat...

Man #2: "...will now bathe... in its own puddle!"

...and dashes forward, ready to slice through the Adam's Apple and the boy was already closing his eyes, waiting for its incoming doom... before reopening them, after realizing, nothing struck him and all he saw was Jun kicking the man away, making him crash against the stairs to the backdoor leading to the kitchen of the restaurant. As soon as he crashed against the stairs with a loud bang, he became mad and swiftly turned around to face Jun.

Man #2: "You bitch! You are going to pay for this! Don't think, you are getting away that easy!"

Jun however didn't respond, as she remained cool and simply got in her typical Kazama stance, waiting for the man to come closer... and he indeed did so. As he slashed his knife in Jun's direction, she kept jumping or stepping away from his slashes and as soon as she was cornered to the left, she waited for him to slash again... only to then grab the hand, which had the weapon in its grip, as she then starts twisting it, before doing a typical reversal, by beginning to twist the thug as a whole, making him roll away from her, hitting the floor with his head first... but that was still not enough to knock him out, so she waited for another attack...

Man #2: "Now... I really had enough... YOU ARE SO DEAD, MISSIE!"

...and as soon as he dared to come close, he only found himself getting kicked in the gut and it was perfectly timed, so much so, he clutched his stomach and fell unconscious from high amounts of pain he was feeling. And as the middle aged Kazama was turning her head towards the other two baddies, the two got angry, because of what she just did to their friend... so they let go of the kid and decided to focus only on her instead.

Man #1 & Man #3: "You really crossed the line now! You are toast!"

"I warned him, but he wouldn't listen. My apologies, but since you were about to harm an innocent boy, you can't seriously expect me to just stand here and not intervene, especially now that you scumbags just tried to kill him. And now I am forced to warn you two... because the outcome will NOT be pleasant."

Man #1: "Look at her, she just took out one man and she thinks, she is queen of the world."

Man #3: "Come on, let's get rid of her, we wasted too much time here anyways."

And with that, the two thugs start bombarding Jun with an endless barrage of punches and kicks, but it was all for the naught, as she then stuns the two with a falling thunder kick from above, hitting both of their heads in the process and since she wore her high heeled sandals, the hits hurt more than normal, before pulling the two thugs down by their collars, only to then jump in a forward-backflip and throw the two against the brick wall right before her. Both crashed against the bricks with full force, but since they didn't have enough, both jumped back up and jumped in Jun's direction again, only this time, they ran after her again, but she used the narrow space to her advantage, by running up the wall right next to her, only to land right behind the two thugs. She knew, it was time to finally stop this senseless fighting, so she stomped the floor and waited for the two to come closer and as soon as one of them did, as they saw that stance as a taunt, one of the men found themselves getting brutally kicked in the face with a spinning roundhouse kick from the middle old Kazama and to make sure, he won't stand back up again, she does a lower roundhouse kick to sweep the man off of his feet, making him hit the floor hard... and then, as the final thug dashed forward to throw a simple punch at her, she swiftly and gracefully steps aside, only to first stun the man with a side kick in the gut, before kicking him in the face from the side, making him fall unconscious too... Jun sighed, as she wiped the sweat from her forehead... she initially planned on solving this situation violentless, but it all ended up happening the opposite, of what she actually hoped for... but she then quickly went over to the child and kneeled down to wipe its blood away with a tissue, as she looked at it with concern-filled eyes...

"Hey, everything OK?"

"Y-Yeah... t-thank you..."

She then crammed inside her little pocket and then gave the child a fine little sum of cash, and brushed a hand softly across his messy hair... however, looking at the wounds that these three gave the poor child and how blood ran down from the top of his forehead, as he was also covered in bruises...

"Wait here, I will call an ambulance and my colleagues, they are going to take care of these guys, OK?"

The boy nodded in a timid way, but then Jun had to ask him...

"But before I do, do you have any relatives close by, that take care of you?"

He shook his head, confirming that he truly is without a roof over his head... so the Kazama nodded and softly began stroking this boy's head, while speaking in comforting tone.

"Don't worry, I will let my colleagues know about you and they will make sure, that you get a into a safe homeless asylum, alright?"

He nodded, before hugging her... which she quickly returned before standing up to quickly tie these three troublemakers against the stairs that lead to the backdoor of the kitchen with three handcuffs, that she quickly brought over from her car. Then she took out her phone and began calling a few of her colleagues over that were still at work to let them know about the kid and the three men that bothered and dared to assault him... and as she was done with that one task, she then called an ambulance, so that they can pick up the kick and give him a medical treatment... and as soon as her colleagues and the ambulance arrived, she explained to them what happened and what they should do with the kid... the officers were agreeing with her and decided to take the three men and the child with them to put them were each of them belong to... one of the officers came to congratulate Jun for his late night effort...

Officer: "You really saved us a lot of trouble, again, Jun. Can't you ever make mistakes?"

"Hehe, sorry, I am way too incapable of making little mistakes. It's my job after all."

Officer: "Haha! Good one."

But then Jun had to look at her watch and she began to panic a little.

"Oh! If you would excuse me, I gotta go, I have a mission in New Mexico and I will be late for my flight over there! Goodbye!"

Officer: "Bye!"

And with that, Jun frantically jumped in her cab and quickly drove to the airport of Hong Kong... she went through the scanner to let her bag and her pocket get scanned, asked for the ticket at the terminal, takes it as quickly as she could and sat down to wait for the announcement... she sighed as she made herself comfortable and she took a sip of her hot coffee-to-go... and fifteen minutes later came the announcement, that her flight was ready to go... so she stood up and ran to get to the right terminal, that will lead her to her plane... and indeed did she find it, so she followed the other passengers to her flight to Mexico... she puts her bag in the luggage space above her seat, takes one of a few books out that she took with her, lets herself collapse on her seat and puts on her glasses, ready to read, once they take off... and a few minutes later, it was indeed time, as the plane finally began to move, before it increased velocity, until it finally took off into the air... Jun personally has always liked the tingling feeling of flying through the air in any way, shape or form, it made her feel... so free... so alive, with nothing prohibiting her freedom... but this time, she didn't feel it that much, since something was bothering her greatly...

Ever since she left her son to recover, so that he can safely return to their old home in Yakushima, leaving him with a feeling that she wasn't mad with him, despite what he did... she still felt incomplete and it wasn't only for the fact, that she wasn't with her son, it was also something else... something, that has been haunting her, since Jin's birth... since he has never seen his father personally in his childhood, after his fifth birthday, he became curious, because he wanted to know, where his father was and why he wasn't present, since he had a right to know. Jun feared, that he would ask her sooner or later... but because of her having been a real coward, for not having been able to accept the fact, that it was Kazuya Mishima, a world wide sought-after criminal and troublemaker, that she had previously tried to arrest, because of shady activities regarding his leadership over the Mishima Zaibatsu, who impregnated her... she wouldn't even have DARED to talk about him in a good way, simply because... she couldn't stand him. His cruel nature, his arrogance and his overconfidence... all this was simply NO part of a good father, that's at least what she thought back then and it still didn't change, even after she has watched him leave with a sad expression... so she was forced to lie, because she couldn't bear the thought of letting her son live with the fact, that his father was an impure overall evil individual, who seemed to only care about nobody but himself and his own interests.

Just letting him know, that his father was on a long business trip and he wouldn't return for a long time and only, when she goes on her own to meet up with him... that was the best possible excuse she could make up, just to avoid letting her own flesh and blood raise suspicion... of course, her son's reaction wasn't ANYTHING but positive, but she knew, that it was better this way... but now, twenty years later, she began to feel dreadful for having done that... there were just so many doubts surrounding her head, because now that she thought about what she and Kazuya did together in hindsight... in the past, she could still remember him having dropped that cold attitude of his at one point, that she couldn't remember that well anymore, since she didn't think much of it... but she wasn't convinced, she still thought ill of him... and when the two came together in bed... from her point of view, at least... it simply felt like, he only did it with her, all because of her good looks, since he was known for being greedy... and she was hoping for it to end very soon, so it was quick and painless, no further questioning... nothing more to be said. And even with her telling herself all this, she still felt bad for it, since it wasn't like her to be so cold towards someone she used to know... and Kazuya was not the only.

Ever since Heihachi let a journalist write down the story of how he and Kazumi ended up together, how Kazuya was born and how he ended up being forced to murder his wife, all for the sake of freeing her from the curse of the Hachijo clan and she just happened to have met the reporter by coincidence to let him tell her the true story behind Heihachi's motives... she began to feel bad for him and finally realize, that it was never Heihachi's intention to murder anyone, not related to his conflict... she was just a total mess inside her head... on one hand, she hated the Mishimas for what they did to her and Jin's life, but on the other, now that she knows the truth... she couldn't decide, if she should now have sympathy for them or not... but the fact remained, she would not forgive Kazuya for what he did to her, forcing her live alone and raise Jin, all by herself with no support whatsoever... and she would not change her mind, since she is THAT sick of him. So she simply activates the light bulb over head, makes herself comfortable, fixes her glasses and begins reading her book, as the plane disappeared in the clouds...

Eight hours later...

Jun was still fast asleep, as her head is gently leaned against the seat and she was snoring... until then something woke her up and that was the pilot, giving the more or less relieving announcement.

Pilot: "Dear passengers, we are slowly reaching our destination, Mexico City, please fasten your seatbelts, relax and enjoy the rest of the ride."

And as soon as looked sleepily through her window and realized, it was already daytime, she rubbed her eyes and then could clearly see the airport of Mexico underneath her and as soon as they got lower and lower, she could see everything... she began smiling to herself...

"Heh, never thought Mexico City to look so beautiful from above... and the airport is huge too... who gets the chance to see something like this often enough?"

And it wasn't long, before the plane finally set on landing... and as soon as it landed, everyone began clapping, because of the successful landing sequence, even Jun... she prepared herself for leaving, as she packed everything back into her bag, before leaving the plane, followed by the rest of the other passengers... and as soon as she got out, she gave Luis the call, that she has arrived.

"Luis, I am here. You can give the signal for the person to pick me up."

"Ahhh, good, and I finally found out this person's name, hehe and goodness, why was I clumsy to not ask, because this person is a literal CELEBRITY! The man is called King and he is a world wide known wrestler from Mexico, and he is known for the jaguar mask he wears..."

When Jun heard the name, she sort of got a little deja-vu, because she could remember a person called King from way back when she was participating in the second tournament... so she had to ask in a curious way.

"King? Like... THE King? Could it, by any chance, be the same King that owns his own orphanage?"

"Why yes! Indeed, is he the owner of the orphanage! I was surprised myself, but now we got smarter! You always learn something new every day, so to speak."

"OK, thank you. Well, farewell, Luis. I will take it from here and thanks again."

"My pleasure, Ms. Kazama. Goodbye."

Then... after going through the same routine again, Jun sat down close to the exit to await her escort to the orphanage, that was King... and merely thirty minutes later, she saw someone entering the airport with a significant jaguar mask and a tall frame, like Luis told her... and she recognized that same mask from the past too... she quickly stood up with her stuff ran over and kindly asked the man:

"Excuse me, are you King?"

And when the man turned around, he could not sound anymore surprised than now to see Jun Kazama herself standing before him... but because of his face being hidden under the mask, the Kazama could not tell his emotions, however the tone in his voice was more than enough to confirm his current emotion and it was clear joy.

"Heeey, just the woman I'm looking for, you're Jun Kazama, right?"

She bowed in a polite way, before grinning.

"Yes, that's me. Jun Kazama from Interpol Hong Kong, nice to meet you."

"And I'm King, I am honoured to meet you in person."

Both then began shaking hands, as he guided her to his car, that turned out to be... a big bus. It was odd, but Jun theorized as she got in the bus, that it had something to do with the fact, that since King is the owner of the orphanage and whenever the kids wanted to go for a trip, he would basically take them all for a ride anywhere they wanted... but she didn't question this any further, since she kind of knew, she was right... and she pulled her stuff up, King grabbed her bag and gently took it from her, as he wanted to relieve her...

"Give me that, I am sure you're exhausted from the long trip, let me help you."

"Oh, thank you. I am indeed tired..."

"Do not worry, as soon as we arrive, you can already go upstairs, with your bed being prepared for you to lay on."

"You're too kind, you know that?"

"That's how I roll. Story of my life."

And as he puts the bag next to her seat, she sat down and was surprised at how hot it was in here... the heat was almost like a slap in her face. It was hot before, but the heat was almost inhumane in the bus... but King had good news. He simply put on a switch and already the heat began to disappear within the cool wind, that was coming through the in-built air conditioner, making King chuckle, since he already knew, she expected this bus to be like rest. Old, used and out of date.

"Thought wrong, this baby here looks like nothing, but the core is worth the money. I do not regret ever having invested a good sum of cash in this, hehe."

He turns on the engine, waited for the road to be clear and then sped off to head for the orphanage... while he drove, he and Jun decided to pass the time a little through small talk... for one thing, Jun wanted to know a little more about the orphanage itself.

"One question... how many children can I expect to see?"

"Well, in total, we have 20. But do not worry, all of them behave well, even though a few can be a handful, but other than that, none of them are that much of troublemakers."

"Aha... and Luis actually told me, that the other owner has fallen sick and you don't have that much time for them... but, just out of curiosity, who is the other owner?"

"Well, Michelle Chang is the other owner... she wasn't exactly specific, as of why she didn't feel well, but the point is, she isn't getting any younger, so I thought, someone could relieve her and me for a while... obviously, I still have to take care of a good friend of mine, since he hasn't recovered from his wounds yet and I am still on the search for a new partner... so yeah, I am pretty much cornered right now in my business."

"Michelle... hehe, I wonder how she is doing... it has been quite a while..."

"Wait... you know her?"

"Let's just say, I am familiar with her. Me and her actually encountered one another before, back in the 2nd tournament. We became friends fairly quickly... but ever since that one job of mine was finished, I haven't seen her since... probably, she wasn't able to get what she wanted and instead decided to just set back and forget what she experienced thus far... poor thing... hope, she was able to get over this..."

King was now personally intrigued... but since she was exhausted, he did not really feel like bothering her with more personal questions now and instead decided to leave that for some other time... and to keep the good mood alive, he had to ask this.

"But now I have a question for you... do you look forward in watching over the children?"

That question alone made Jun smile, since she actually enjoyed the presence of youngsters and even with a few being obnoxious, she just knows what to do to get on their good side, so that they will behave. Trust was everything.

"Of course, in fact, I am relieved to get something different for once... hunting criminals down is my specialty, but getting a new kind of job is an all-around new experience for me personally. And like I told Luis, I am experienced with kids, I even raised a child myself, so if you are looking for someone that can even make the unpopular youngsters loveable little angels, you can count on me."

"Hehe, that's good to hear. I like persons, that know what they do."

And the wrestler was even more curious now, since she mentioned something about her having a child herself... and he couldn't resist asking this.

"And excuse my curiosity, but you said you have raised a child yourself. Do you have a son or a daughter? And how is he/her doing?"

"Oh, um, I have a son and he is doing just fine. Right now, he is in Tokyo and tries his luck in life. And no, he isn't a child anymore, he is an adult now, he can take care of himself just fine without me."

"Ahhh, good... the older they are, the more they want to distance themselves a little from the family to find their own place in life."

"True, true..."

Of course, Jun had to answer this way, since she didn't trust King. Since her son is still a criminal, she had to keep it tame with her description, so that he doesn't raise suspicion about her life too much... and much to her luck, he didn't further question and an awkward silence overcame the two... until King then stopped the bus and spoke in a cheerful tone.

"Well, here we are!"

He pressed the horn to signify the children, he has arrived with the new guest. And as soon as the two left the bus with him carrying her bag, all the children ran outside to greet their new "mother", that will watch over them and indeed were they happy to see her. Just watching all these happy faces made Jun smile and warm on the inside. Never before has she felt so welcome somewhere... but King had to make the cheering stop, as he wanted them to behave a little, since the guest was exhausted.

"Kids, please be a little more polite, Jun has had a journey behind her and needs some rest. Have some manners, please."

But the Kazama shook her hands in defence as she was totally fine with it.

"No, no, it's OK. I am tired, yes, but I am happy to have arrived here. And I certainly look forward to following days, where I have the pleasure of spending time with all of you. And are you happy too?"

Everyone: "YES! WE ARE!"

"Then I suppose, you can already look forward for tomorrow, because I will give it my all to make your time worthwhile."

The youngsters happily cheered, while the more older ones were nodding in a pleased way... but Jun then felt awkward, because they would actually expect her to cook something at one point and the problem is... she CAN'T cook. So she almost comically looked at kids with wide eyes...

"But... if you're expecting me to cook a meal for all of you... then I have bad news, unfortunately... I NEVER learned how to cook, so..."

But then, one of the more older orphans spoke up, as they showed a comforting grin.

Teenager: "That's no problem. We are prepared for that, because a few of us can actually cook on their own, we had to teach that ourselves, whenever Michelle didn't have time, so we pretty much had to teach it ourselves. So don't worry and if you want, we could also cook something for you. I am sure, you're hungry."

That made Jun feel greatly relieved on the inside... one serious problem less. But she had politely decline the kind offer.

"That's very nice, but I am not empty in my bowels, I ate something while I was waiting for King, but still, thank you very much."

But then King had to mention something.

"Ummm, would someone please be so nice to guide Jun to her room? Like I said before, she needs some rest first. And while you are at it, please show her around a little, just so that she can find everything the next day. Orientation never hurts."

And one of the more young adults in the group actually raised his hand to do the job.

"How about me?"

"OK, Xavier. I am counting on you."

"Sure."

"I will go inside and put her stuff in her room. You can show her around."

He then went over and gently grabbed Jun's hand, before going with her to the first place, she needs to see for herself and Xavier even explained a little, what was going on with this. First thing to present was the church.

"This here, obviously, is our church. A few of our kids are religious and if you believe in god too... feel free to go and pray a little, if it cheers you up. I myself am not a believer though, but anyway..."

Next, he presented to her the well...

"And feeling thirsty? Or want to prepare some water for rice? Here we have our own well."

Jun went over to test the quality of the water... she scooped a little up in her hand and drank it... and she nodded.

"Almost flawless quality. And cool too."

"The water here is perfect, nobody will ever get thirsty."

And then he showed her the two-story main building, with a total chain of four, smaller houses next to it... it was pretty plain-looking, but this was good enough for Jun, as she never asked for much.

"And last but not least, our little campus. Yeah, I know, looks shabby on the outside, but trust me, this is one hell of a comfortable home. The four little huts are the bedrooms for the children, being able to house about four children each. And if you are looking for protection from the brewing heat, not to worry, air conditioning system all the way and the fridge also works just fine. We have a TV, a radio, a working toilet, a well-enough designed kitchen, everything you can ask for. Oh, and by the way, we also have our own garage, where King mostly stores his car and the bus. Do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes, for the car."

"Good, then... we're all set, nothing more to be shown. And all I can say is: Welcome home."

"Thank you, Xavier, for showing me around. And now if you would excuse me, I would like to go inside and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a tough day."

"OK then. See ya."

But before she left, she quickly kissed Xavier on the forehead for having been such a sweetheart to show her around and as she went inside, the Mexican was touching his forehead and was blushing, as he did not expect this kind of gratitude from her. And without further questioning, Jun went upstairs to find her stuff in her own room, ready to be unpacked... and after she has gotten herself comfortable, having put everything at its place, she kicks off her sandals and lets herself collapse on her bed, which was surprisingly comfy... and it didn't take long, until she finally fell asleep... already was she feeling like at home here... and would it remain that way?

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Trust

**Chapter 2: Trust**

For an entire month now, Jun Kazama has spent her time in Mexico, watching over the orphans at King's private orphanage and by the first half of the second month... she has grown really fond of all the young children, living at the old hostel, especially one certain youngster, that saw King as more than just a wrestler and more like his personal idol... Xavier. Ever since the day they met and he showed her around the little campus, he was always the first one to assist her with her work, whether it was difficult or not and she highly appreciated his support... however... over time, Xavier noticed by occasion... Jun did not always seem very... present. He would often see her outside, in the middle of the dawn, looking at the early morning sky, while remaining frozen in place... he found that very odd indeed. However... all his questions surrounding Jun, should soon find a quenching answer... as one day, after a hearty lunch with the kids... Xavier found Jun, inside the chapel, sitting right in front of the seats, precisely in the middle of the church, doubling over with her head pressing against the stone floor, while being barefoot, all the while muttering words of prayer in her native language, as she looked for divine comfort in this protected place... witnessing all this made the young Mexican feel strange on the inside... he was never religious, but for some odd reason, he always felt better and safer in this place, as if he could sense, that this place is indeed giving warmth and consolation for the lost souls... he slowly approached the middle-old Kazama and broke the muttering she was holding, as he leaned against one of the seats with his arms folded together...

"Hey Jun... everything cool?"

Once she heard the youngster's voice, she disrupted her words of prayer and turned around in surprise, only to see Xavier, standing right before her with apathetic seeming eyes... but she could tell, that there was more to them and the word she was looking for was "concern"... however, wanting to keep her reputation as a tough person up, just to not ensue any false ideas about her, she gently stood up and spoke with a smile, as she approached him.

"Oh! Hello Xavier. Did you enjoy the meal?"

"Heh, yeah, to be honest... ever since you were here... my cooking seemed to have vastly improved. I don't cook that often, y'know... most of the time, the kids just come as my replacement, and there I am, wondering what went wrong, if my food was not good enough for them..."

But since Jun already proved to be pretty incompetent as a cook, which shocked him the most out of the rest... he had to accompany his following words with a chuckle.

"...which is funny, because your cooking is definitely NOT worth a gold medal, no, not even close to BRONZE. Please don't take it to offence, but you just can't cook. Better leave THAT part of your job to me."

However, the Kazama was not offended in any way, regarding her terrible cooking skills. She is self-aware of how bad she is, so she sees no reason to be mad with the youngster, so she had to gently laugh herself.

"Not to worry, I am not offended one bit... on the contrary, I find it amusing, I mean... normally, a mother figure is supposed to take care of everything in the house, just to guarantee the utmost comfort inside the four walls of a family..."

This only amused the Mexican even further.

"You must have been born under a VERY special kind of star..."

"Most likely."

Both began chuckling together, showcasing the special kind of bond the two have already formed together for the time Jun having spent time here... but Xavier had to then think of something personal... and this made his laugh QUICKLY elapse, as it was replaced by growling.

"I wish, I had a mother, that was EXACTLY like you... you seem lacking... but your pure nature MORE than makes up for it..."

Watching this quick change of demeanor, Jun became curious about Xavier's personal story of life... she knew, any child that suffered the misfortune of landing in an orphanage, has a story to tell... a story, filled with either plain loneliness, or a story, filled to the brim with unbearable memories of horrible past experiences, like any form of mental/physical abuse or family issues in general... she could tell, even though he wouldn't dare showing it, that something was bothering him... however, what she would get to hear, was nothing what she would expect...

"Ummm, excuse my curiosity, but... how did your life go down, what made you land here? Because I am sure, you will have quite a story to tell... only if that's OK with you, of course. Don't get me wrong. Forgiveness shall NOT be mine, if I was to FORCE you to relive bad memories."

"No, no, it's alright, you're not the first one to ask me to tell about my life and how I was unfortunate enough to become an orphan..."

Xavier took a deep breath and sighed, before laying back in his seat...

"Knowing, that you are a police officer, I am... pretty sure, this story will become pretty cliché for you in the long run... but to make it short and painless... I was born in dirt."

That blunt announcement sort of caught Jun off guard, since she wasn't expecting him to sound so apathetic about his complications...

"You were... born in dirt?"

"Yes, I was LITERALLY born in the smelliest trash of society. With my mum having been a drug addicted prostitute, having sucked dicks for a living and then having gotten anally raped by some filthy, despicable business-man and then having ended up pregnant with me inside her, telling herself over and over again "It will be the last time", even though she never was able to stop and ended up passing away, just when I was five... yup, DEFINITELY a life worth living, am I right? With NOBODY to rely on, I had to FIGHT myself through all my hardships, all with my own hands..."

It was then, when his somewhat angry tone, lost all its roughness, as he began talking about WHAT "saved" him from falling into the dark side...

"My love for wrestling has always kept me up at the surface... and the likes of the top league, King and Marduk, respectively... their ambitious and charismatic spirits... their will to never give up in a fight, the hope in life included... it's so inspiring. It's the kind of thing, that makes me feel oh so at ease, something I can relate to... I feel empowered... and I was lucky enough to catch wind of King's private orphanage, run by him and Michelle Chang... honestly, my future may not look that gleeful..."

He then looked at Jun with a thin smile, indicating how much his passion for wrestling means to him.

"...but as long as King and Marduk remain who they are and keep their winning streak going, there is NOTHING else in the world, that could make me happier and whole."

She was glad to hear, that even the likes of Xavier have been able to find a glimmer of hope in their dark lives... but after having heard this story... it all felt familiar, since she made the same kind of experience in her life in connection with the Mishimas, specifically Kazuya, who, despite her having ignored the warnings, left her behind, having forced her to take care of Jin all by herself... and even though she felt something for the Mishima, she couldn't accept it and since she was too ashamed to admit, that she LOVED him and that he was nothing more than a power-hungry criminal... she even hid the truth from her son, as long as he was able to think, when she was still there for him... and when Ogre came... Jin was left alone, having been forced to fight all by himself from that point on... without her needed guidance... the similarities were undeniable... and this made her fall into a mild state of depression again... and the young Mexican was quick to notice and in an attempt to keep her spirits up, he gently began stroking her shoulder.

"Jun...? Are you OK? You look like you haven't seen the sun for decades."

Jun was in dilemma now... should she tell HIM about her personal life, out of all the others? What if he began spreading that, like some sort of rumour? Would that ruin her career? It sounded ridiculous, since this youthful, young man would never backstab her, like how she fears he would, because of him and her sharing a sincere bond of friendship together and both are fully trusting each other... but given how her life was currently standing as it is and how much her job actually means to her... would she really risk it? She mustered up courage and asked the question.

"...I am sure, you must be wondering right now, why you keep seeing me outside in the early hours of the morning or in the church, asking for divine comfort from time to time. Want to know WHY this keeps happening to me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

She looked around, just to be safe, nobody else was present... before whispering to the young orphan.

"But it's something I'd rather not spread anywhere else... can you PLEASE keep it a secret, all for yourself?"

Xavier was confused about why Jun would be so secretive about her own problems... but being someone, who strictly follows rules, he was totally fine with it. He even rose his little finger...

"Pinky promise. My lips are sealed."

Jun found that gesture actually really adorable, so she began smiling gently, before enclosing her little finger with his, shaking it, before getting serious, now knowing, she is safe in his presence.

"Alright... where do I start...? It's hard to sum it up in a few words, but to make it as simple as possible for you to understand... first off, you may wonder, why I have no problems taking care of you and the rest of the kids at the private hostel... it's because... I have a son."

"How old is he?"

"He is already an adult... but that is not why I am so sad, that I fear of being lonely... because, I already AM lonely. Family issues, so to speak."

"Let me guess... does... your son hate you or something?"

That question alone made Jun already feel gloomy... it hurt her to know, that he was partially true about it... so she looked away in shame.

"Well... not really, he doesn't hate me... yet, at least... it's complicated. But the point is: I did a horrible mistake in the past. And that one mistake, was what made me and the rest of the family, just plunge into total disaster... in short, I LIED to my son, ever since he was able to think."

"About what?"

"...about his true origins."

"What do you mean...?"

"I lied about where his father was, let alone, WHO his father is, for a start... and who else was related to him... and it will come as a shock to you, however, I don't know, if you ever heard of these names before... my son... is Jin Kazama."

Hearing that name alone, made Xavier snap out of his good mood in a way. He was severely surprised... the mother, of the world wide sought after, Jin Kazama, was sitting right in front of him...

"Wait a minute... you aren't joking, are you? YOU are Jin Kazama's mum?"

"Yes... as much as it shames me to admit it..."

"Now... it kinda makes sense... your second name... heh, who would have thought, I would get the honour of meeting the mother of an international war criminal..."

But watching Jun, he could tell, she was so ashamed of this very fact, she was close in breaking down in tears... so he comforted her immediately, making sure, she shouldn't feel threatened by his presence in any way, by gently putting his hands on her shoulders.

"You really aren't that proud of him, are you...?"

"And if anyone should be blamed for this negative change, it should be me... not him, after all... it was me, who made him go through all this... with my constant lying..."

"I am really sorry to hear this..."

She then looked at Xavier with a sad, concerned smile, before brushing her hand through his short hair...

"There is no need to apologize, dear... if anything, I should apologize for not having been very honest to you... I always acted like everything was alright and at ease, but for me, NOTHING is alright, as things currently stand for me..."

"Hmph... so this makes us two."

The Kazama nodded, before getting on with her story...

"As I already said, Jin is my son... but the surprise will be even bigger, when I tell you, who his father is... Kazuya Mishima. Does the name ring a bell?"

"Kazuya Mishima... isn't that the same oldie, that waged war against Jin and acted as if he was the hero in the conflict? But then... this brings me to the question... how did you two end up together, that he made you conceive Jin?"

Just having to remember old times, where she didn't act entirely on thought with this now middle old Mishima, she had to calm herself first, without becoming too angry in the process...

"It's a long story... and it happened two decades ago, when I was much younger and so was Kazuya... I met him during the second Iron Fist Tournament... I infiltrated the tournament to find and interrogate Kazuya, because of illegal activities regarding his company, the G-Corporation... and well, I don't want to get into too much detail, because I fear, you might not take it as seriously afterwards, but you should understand... I cannot simply arrest someone without evidence and so, one night, I tried to break into the laboratories to find the endangered animals, that he illegally imported over to Japan... and rumours even spread, that he had way more dirt on his hands than what he was worth, as he even had a few cases of murder on his account... and I don't even know, if that was true... but long story short, my attempts succeeded... but... something inside me was telling me, NOT to arrest him... and soon, I found out why... Kazuya was not being himself, something was totally wrong..."

FLASHBACK

Kazuya is seen, clutching his head in agony, with a purple cloud, morphing into a devil's head behind him, with a confused, young Jun watching this "transformation"...

Jun: "I was confused... I thought at first, this guy is simply insane by nature, or it was simply a mental illness that he was suffering, as I suspected, those that bear huge responsibility cannot always mentally handle it in the long run and end up in an unpredictably moody state... but none of these two conclusions made sense, as it all came down to one final answer: Possession."

And sure enough, the young Kazuya falls on his knees, clutching his head with one hand, while Jun carefully approached him with a worried look...

Jun: "...and I was right. This young man, was not being himself this whole time. Something inside him was trying to gain control of him and he kept swaying back and forth, trying desperately to shake this, whatever it was, "thing" off his tail... and it only stopped...

The young Jun is seen touching Kazuya's shoulders... which made his evil spirit become tamed again.

Jun: "...once I made physical contact with him. I was not really able to process this fact, but it was true... I indeed, saved him..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"...and it rolled on since then. I felt intimate with him and he ended making love with me. And yeah, he forgot protection, so I ended up being pregnant, after all. And then... Heihachi Mishima happened."

"Heihachi Mishima?"

"Yes, him, the leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu... although... nowadays, I haven't heard anything new from him... rumours spread, he left the Zaibatsu and simply fled somewhere deserted, just to escape the law... and I am not really sure, if that's true or not."

She shrugged, before continuing with her story.

"Anyhow... it wasn't long, before I gave birth to Jin... and like I said, I lied to him, ever since he was able to think along and listen properly... and after his fifteenth birthday, a monster, by the name of Ogre, attacked us... Jin was able to escape... but me, I suffered the misfortune of getting through a number of ordeals, organized by this beast... and by the end of it, I was severely injured... my home, totally burnt to the ground..."

"But how were you able to survive? By the sound of it, it comes over to me, as if you were close to death... and yet, you are still here, alive and kicking."

Jun knew, Xavier would never be able to understand, nor comprehend the fact, HOW she was able to recover, despite her deadly injuries... so, she decided to use a simple, yet easy to understand and ironically BELIEVABLE excuse, just to quench his thirst for wisdom.

"...let's just say, I had ABSURD luck on my side. Because someone found me and took me away from there, just to get me to a hospital."

"Aha, alright..."

But this part of the story, was the least favourite of Jun to tell about...

"Before I was taken away, I told my son: Should something happen to me, I want him to look for Heihachi, his grandfather by the way, so that he could receive a proper home, far away from the reach of Ogre... but this is one instance, where my lies, that I kept feeding my son with... were to make him pay the price now... because, I KNEW back then, that Heihachi would return to kill Kazuya, because of a bad dream I had, that foreshadowed this event... and by that point, I KNEW, that the old Mishima was NOT to be trusted... and yet... with this decisive knowledge in mind... I sent my own Jin, to the same man, that "killed" off the same person, that had previously made love with me... all means of protection, have completely backfired on me and the rest of the family..."

Having to accept the horrific reality yet again... began to ache Jun's heart, once more...

"It was all because of ME, that the utmost terrible events, that led up to now, occurred... the war between the G-Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu... and my own refusal to warn my son of all the possible dangers, that he could have thrown himself into with this old Mishima... all this, would have NEVER happened... if I had swallowed my accursed pride, and told him the truth about the Mishimas..."

...and it reached a point, where tears began to form in her eyes, as she clutched the spot, where her was.

"...and now, it's only a matter of time, until my son, might eventually find everything out... I may not know HOW, but I am sure he will, in one way or another... and then... and then..."

She then covered her face, starting to sob heartbroken...

"Jin, my beloved Jin... he is everything that I have... it would really break my heart... if he was to start hating me now, even though he has EVERY right to do so... considering, how I kept feeding him with lies... but then... what should I do...? I will be all alone... and he would, for sure, NEVER consider me as his mother, ever again..."

Xavier went on to comfort Jun, by gently pulling her into a warm hug, tenderly brushing his hand up and down her back, letting her weep into his shoulder, all the while feeling sincerely sorry for the middle old Kazama...

"It's alright... if you need anyone to talk to, you are at the correct address... heh, looks like we are not so different after all... considering our current situations... but no worries, I will be there for you, should you need someone to open your soul to, to remove whatever stone of pain is lying on your heart..."

And after a little while, Jun then finally pulled herself together and wiped her own tears away, sighing deeply in pain... before showing a gentle, yet sad smile to the young Mexican, as she brushed a hand across his cheek...

"Thank you, Xavier... I really needed that... and again, please, promise me, you won't ever talk about this with ANYONE else, just me, alright? Because I don't want to lose my job, if this ever comes out, that I am related to my son... you know why."

"It's OK. Any dirty secrets of yours, are SAFE in my hands... pinky promise."

He then took out his phone...

"And in case, you need a chatting partner... just add me on your messenger. And we will be all set."

"Alright then. And it will be a private number, just so you know."

"Count me in."

Jun then took out her phone and both crossed with their phones, before a ringing noise came, indicating that they exchanged numbers. Xavier began to grin.

"Aaaand done. This will be our secret."

"Hehe... Xavier...?

"Huh?"

She had to giggle and kiss his forehead, while stroking his hair.

"...you really are one huge sweetheart, you know that? Don't ever let that trait of yours go to waste. And again, thank you SO MUCH, from the bottom of my heart, for cheering me up. I will never forget that."

"Hehehe, likewise."

Both then heard the horn of a car outside... Xavier jumped, because he KNEW, to which that horn belonged to...

"It's King! He is here! He has come to visit us!"

"Really? Then let's go!"

Both ran outside... and sure enough, as expected, the jaguar masked wrestler star, King, was exiting his own Porsche and to the kids' and especially Jun's shock, he wasn't alone... as another person exited the car... it was no other... than Michelle Chang... the sight of the woman alone, that the Kazama grew to know like a good friend during the old days of the Iron Fist tournaments, made her feel way more alive than ever, ever since she got the task to over her job for a while...

"Michelle!"

Hearing this familiar voice, made the middle old Native American made her inner light shine in a blaze...

"Jun, is that you? Jun!"

The two women then hugged one another, feeling so glad to see each other again after all this time...

"Hey, long time no see, Junny-girl! So King wasn't joking, when he meant, that he chose YOU of all people to watch over the orphans, after all!"

"Heh, you know me, declining a task of this kind is NOT my style alright. You want me to watch over someone, count me in, I am all ready."

Both had to chuckle almost uncontrollably, since they haven't seen each other for so long... but Jun was the first to notice, that something was different about Michelle. Certainly, age can be unforgiving to few and it can be noticeable... however, Michelle looked more than just aged... the wrinkles on her cheeks were TOO apparent, almost as if the woman aged faster than normal and not only did she look old-timed... it was hard to describe, but one word that was suitable for this kind of physical condition would be... ill. Her eye bags make her look, as if she hasn't slept properly for months and she did indeed look fragile, as if she was already in her late 60s, despite her still being in her early 40s... case in point, she did NOT look healthy, at all and this made the Kazama feel justified to express her concern.

"Goodness, Michelle... did you let yourself go or something? Because I recall, you having looked WAY fitter than that..."

But Michelle didn't want to concern her old partner too much, so she instead decided to become more or less non-caring and chill about it.

"This? Oh, it's no big deal. You should just know, that ever since I adopted my daughter Julia, let us just stick to this: I cared more about her than myself... result: utter laziness on my behalf. Yup, the curse of being a mother, I say, hehehe... a double-edged blade. A blessing on one hand and on the other, a freaking curse."

"Aha, hehe... anyway, how are you doing, are you feeling ready again to take over?"

While Xavier and Michelle then embraced one another, feeling just as glad as his new friend over her arrival. King then made the announcement, as he put his hand on Michelle's shoulder, sounding quite cheerful.

"Yup. She is back in business. Meaning, your job is done, you are relieved from your position as a caretaker."

That announcement came a little too sudden for the Kazama and already, she felt a little cramp on the inside... she noticed that Xavier did not seem very pleased, that she was free to go now... however, it was replaced by happiness, now that Michelle has returned, making it clear for her, he must have missed the Native American dearly... but before she could think of saying it out loud, the wrestler star took the words right out of her mouth, sounding quite comforting.

"Oh, but you won't be going straight away. Of course, we have to book your flight first, before you can return to Hong Kong. All goes on me."

This made the Kazama sigh out loud in relief, before quickly noticing Xavier's happiness returning. And King had no choice, but to playfully scrubble through his hair, making him laugh in happiness...

"Heh, I can see, you must have grown very fond of Jun, eh?"

"Yeah, for a woman of Michelle's age, she is very cool... there was never a dull moment with her and it's anything, BUT a pun I am trying to pull."

"...now I have the LEAST reason to regret my decision."

However, King grew a little serious on the inside... he had some questions, regarding Jun's origins... he hadn't had the opportunity before, because of his busy schedule... but now, he felt like this was THE moment... as he has begun to speculate a little about the Kazama... but if anything, he did NOT want to cause any ruckus and wanted to keep the positive energy at the orphan hostel flow, so he slowly approached Jun, speaking in a comforting tone to sort of "bait" her to come with him...

"Ummm, Jun, do you have a moment...? I feel like it is now the appropriate time to talk about your working wage. It won't take long and it's only us two, with nobody probably disturbing us."

"Sure, let's go. Want some tea?"

"No, it's OK, like I said, it will not be for long."

"Alright then. It was nice to see you again, Michelle."

"Likewise, see you later!"

She had to wink, because she had a plan to make this day a little more special...

"And hoho, be happy, because I will cook us all a fine dinner tonight! Sort of celebrating my return, so stay tuned!"

The children began to cheer happily for that plan. Their childish happiness could not be described in words and it simply made Jun's and Michelle's day to see their smiles, especially King...

Later in Jun's room...

King and Jun were doing a little bit of paperwork to talk out her wage... and after the two had finished, the wrestler felt the need to find out a little more about the Kazama... even though, you couldn't see his face and the suitable emotion for this current situation... the serious, yet comforting and rational tone in his voice, was more than enough to confirm... his speculation was anything, but positive on her...

"Excuse my curiosity, Jun, and please do not feel cornered if I asked you this..."

"What... do you want to know...?"

"You know... I have been thinking about it for a while and... when I read your name and let it play over and over again in my mind... it sort of reminded me of someone else, that I think... seems to share something in common with you..."

Jun felt her stomach churning, as she feared the absolute worst waiting for her... as King spoke it out loud...

"Do you happen to be... the mother... of Jin Kazama?"

NOW... the Kazama felt as if her cover could be blown any second now... but lying now wouldn't do her favours, so... there was no other way, than to hope, that King would never bring this fact to the media, considering his viewership and his public influence... she took a deep breath, pulled herself together as best as she could... then finally unveiled it all for the wrestler star.

"...yes, I am indeed the mother of Jin. I will not try to hide it in front of you."

King laid back in his chair a little, taking it all in...

"I knew it... I should have known it before..."

And Jun couldn't help herself, but to question it.

"But... please, don't go out there and tell anyone else, that I really AM related to my son. I beg you, this could cost my job... and my personal reputation as an authority..."

But King, being the generally kind and understanding kind of man, that he was from the bottom of his heart... gave her a surprising, yet incredibly relieving response... he knew, that her job would be on the line, if he was to speak to another authority about Jun's personal life... but even if it was urgent... you just don't do it. Spreading private information about someone without their consent... as it might have negative side effects on her career and her life as a whole.

"I won't do that, don't worry... it's not my style anyways to go to some News Network or something to be a telltale about it... it's beyond rude and below my level."

Hearing that was like another heavy stone of burden has been lifted from her soul... one fear less... but King was not done, as he wanted to know more...

"I promise, I will not tell anyone about this... however, you just made me even more curious... since you are related to Jin Kazama... could there exist a connection to the Mishima family in general...?"

He wanted to relieve the pressure a little, so he awkwardly began scratching the back of his head, all the while letting out a light laughter...

"Hehehe, don't get me wrong, OK? If I am pressuring you right now, I beg for your pardon! It's not actually part of my traits to be so direct about a specific topic."

However... he then began to sound serious on his behalf, since this was a story, he wanted to tell Jun for a long time, because he could sense, there HAD to be some kind of connection with her, regarding the Mishimas and all the unanswered questions the two had for one another...

"But I have questions... and I want answers. Simple as that. And it has something to do with the Mishimas... so... did you have any personal contact with... Heihachi Mishima, in the past?"

"Ummm... not really, I can at least say, I had something to do with his son. You remember him, right? Kazuya Mishima?"

"Yes... but, this is not really answering my question... because I am referring to the incident with a being, that goes by name "Ogre"... ever heard of it before?"

Once she heard this name coming out of the wrestler's mouth... it was indeed a surprise for her.

"I did. I did indeed. Because of this monster, I would have nearly died back then..."

But this reminded her of something... back then, six years ago, she heard the news of a jaguar-masked wrestler's dead body having been found close to the ruins of a temple, somewhere in North America... the part with the jaguar mask has stuck with her... and looking at King, she began to suspect something... and she began questioning the person right before her...

"Wait a minute... I heard the news, that this atrocious beast has also been involved with a murder case, where a MASKED wrestler has been found, dead... and by "mere coincidence" that mask was that of a jaguar... photographs even confirm, that the mask just happened to look like YOURS right now... if that was supposed to be, who I think it is..."

She then eyed the wrestler before her, suspiciously with narrow eyes, growing somewhat warily...

"...then I have to question, who or what is sitting right before my eyes?"

"..."

"So let me ask... are you really the same King, that opened this entire orphanage?"

The answer, was indeed shocking... as King found himself cornered this time, because what he was about to reveal to the Kazama... was throwing an entirely different light on him...

"...no, I am not."

"I might have known it... I was growing suspicious already, ever since Luis mentioned to me your name... looking back, I wasn't entirely able to believe, that a man by the name, King, APPARENTLY, so I thought at first, the same King that I met during the second King of Iron Fist tournament, would hand out a task like that, completely out of nowhere... because he is no more, the news confirmed it... I grew doubtful... but here you are and you happen to wear the EXACT same mask like the King, that I met in the past... so this begs the question for me... who are you really? And what happened to the "real" King?"

That was one moment, where King had to lay back and try to calm down, so that he can deliver the story, like Jun demands...

"Alright... I think it's time... the King you see here before you, is the NEW one. The mask was given to me, to honour my master... and you would be questioning now, what on earth does Ogre have to do with all this and why I even mentioned him? Well... the answer is simple... he is the one, that murdered the older King. He KILLED my master."

Jun had to gasp... she certainly did NOT expect this outcome.

"Say what?!"

"Yes... but this is not the worst part..."

He took a look outside to see Michelle, playing with the children, looking all cheerful for them... he had to sigh in sadness...

"As you have already established... Michelle is not looking very healthy... but this has a very special reason... I thought at first, it couldn't be true... but thinking about it more closely, I could safely conclude, that she hasn't been able to move on..."

"Move on from what...?"

"From the death of the first King... to me, he was my beloved master, my idol, the one I could view like a father... but to her, he was something way beyond that... a soul mate, one she could see herself spending the rest of her days with... yes, she was deeply in love with my master... and his passing hit her the most..."

Hearing that made Jun feel sincerely sorry for Michelle... after all, she never knew, that the first King meant the world for her... but the wrestler was far from finished with the story...

"The funny thing is... Michelle told me, time and time again, that whatever happened, whatever she tried and whenever it happened... she was not able to forget, how my master was mercilessly slaughtered by this inhumane beast... at one point, she even described in detail, how it all went down... how come, I never thought about it that way, when I was considering the possible cause for her physical state...?"

The middle old Kazama was all too ready to hear the story in its entirety.

FLASHBACK

The younger Michelle is seen, tied up to a totem pole, being confronted by Heihachi himself, who was facing her with folded arms...

King: "What did Heihachi have to do with all this...? Well, before the third King of Iron Fist tournament even got going, Michelle has been kidnapped... by no other than Heihachi Mishima, who was after what was part of her family's most valuable items... the pendant. By the tribe's request... Michelle went to Japan to investigate on the legend of the "God of Fighting", otherwise known as Ogre. And the first person, who could possibly have an open ear for her, was Heihachi himself... and it ended up with her getting taken away to the temple in Central America... where the Mishima took the pendant from her, seemingly, by force... and while the old Mishima was busy summoning this beast from its deep slumber..."

The first King is then seen, beating up the guards, trying desperately to free Michelle from Heihachi's hands...

King: "...my master finally came to the rescue. Of course, Michelle described, how overloaded with joy she was in that moment to see her loved one, trying to save her..."

The old wrestler is then seen, facing a huge being, that stepped forward out of the dark portal, right in front of him... and the green monster... then set his red eyes on him, ready for battle... with King bravely facing this monster...

King: "...only to be then faced with the very monster, that Heihachi has called forth to put the entire world at risk of destruction... Ogre. The fight was long and bloody, it was hard to tell, when it was going to end, but this monstrocity proved to be way more then what meets the eye. Even though, he hasn't reached his full strength yet, it was still able to pull off one hell of a carnage with its skills..."

And there was the first King, looking quite beat up and exhausted as hell... with his entire body being covered in bloody bruises and before he could deliver the final blow to him, Michelle, who has managed to free herself and get out of the guards' way, yelled behind him, signalizing, that she was all too ready to sacrifice herself for her loved one...

King: "...and right when it seemed darkest, Michelle literally threw herself on this monster, trying everything in her might to stop him from getting his dirty hands on my master. She fought bravely, but unfortunately to no avail, as Ogre has proven way too much, that he is nothing like the human martial artists, he made his name "God of Fighting" all too known through that..."

Michelle is seen, clutching her bleeding arm, who is also covered in several bruises like King, panting like all hell...

King: "She thought in that moment, all hope was lost, the world is doomed... that she had failed to stop the prophecy from getting on... and she already closed her eyes, expecting her fate to be unforgiving, but..."

Suddenly, just when Ogre prepared to penetrate her body with his glowing hand... the first King instead took the blow, and was hit right through the chest... and Michelle is then seen, holding her crush's limp body, as tears fell from her eyes...

King: "...my master, like the true hero that he was, took the last blow instead of Michelle, penetrating his chest. The sight alone... she was scarred for life... it felt so surreal to see the one she held dearly, close to her heart, pass away in her arms... it was terrible..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

Having heard this tragic story... Jun couldn't help, but shed two huge tears of utter, honest sympathy for her best friend... it felt painful, even for her... since she was able to understand, how her son must have felt, when he thought, he had lost her forever... and King himself was not sounding cheerful and positive any longer. All positive energy he previously had, was gone, as he told her the heroic tale of a legendary wrestler, who had passed away in hopes of protecting someone, he held dear too... Michelle Chang.

"And what happened afterwards...?"

"Michelle doesn't know... all that she could remember was Ogre, clutching her by her head, losing all willpower in the process and all the remaining fighting spirit she had left in her... until she fell unconscious... and it wasn't long after the third tournament, that after Ogre had been destroyed, that all the defeated, older fighters came back to their senses..."

King had to sigh...

"But Michelle was never able to forget, how her loved one, saved her life at the cost of his own... and from this day forward, Michelle HATED the entire Mishima family with a burning passion. She was never able to stand them before, but this... was the straw, that broke the camel's back for her... she has never forgotten and never forgiven... and that is the whole story."

"Hm..."

Jun had to admit... she had never expected this side of the story to come up... and now, she felt as if the necessary blanks had been filled, regarding Ogre... and what the two didn't notice... Michelle was right behind the door of her room, apparently having heard the entire story from beginning to end, all over again, in a sitting position with her knees close to her body, starting to cry her eyes out yet again...

A few days later, Jun said her farewells to the entire orphanage and returned back to Hong Kong... but instead of leaving in good spirits, it all felt as if she had a hole in her heart again, even though she was now able to stay in contact with Xavier and King, with who she made a truce, that if he ever needed help from her again, he would be able to reach her any time... will it stay that way?

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. An Unwanted Meeting

**Chapter 3: An Unwanted Meeting**

6 Months Later...

A couple was getting ready for bed and as soon as the two lovers tugged themselves under the blanket, both kissed goodnight, before falling asleep in each other's arms...

Only two hours after noon, a repeating, yet penetrating noise was heard outside of their bedroom... it was thump, and as the couple awoke, the women felt alerted...

Wife: "Honey, did you hear that...?"

Husband: "Yes... it came from the Foyer..."

Wife: "A burglar...?"

Husband: "I dunno... I gotta go check, you stay here and don't come out until I tell you to..."

The woman was feeling insecure, however... having faith in her lover, she nodded, before giving him one more kiss for good luck, knowing through a feeling that she has, that it won't be pleasant...

Wife: "Watch your step."

And with that, the man carefully opens the door, at the pace of a snail, just to peek outside into the corridor... there was nobody... but just to be safe, he sneaks outside of the room, closes the door behind him and goes over to the light switch... the corridor he was in, began lighting up, giving him a safe enough feeling to proceed... however... what he hadn't noticed until now... is that thumping noise has disappeared... there was nothing but eerie silence, hanging over the corridor... and as he cuts the corner at the other end of the room, he did the same thing like before, turning on the lights, just in hope of maybe catching a glimpse of whatever or whoever caused that disturbance...

Husband: "..."

A shiver went down his spine, as he checked the other corridor around the corner with the lights being turned on... but he found nothing. Checked the bathroom, nothing. The kitchen, nothing... he began to ease up, as he then slowly made his way back to his wife, letting her know, that it was just their imagination... however... just as he reached the other end of the hallway... his ears weren't lying to him, something was behind... it was faint at first, but as he turned around... any kind of common sense died out, and a paralyzing fear came over his subconscious, as he heard buzzing and a dark figure coming forth, appearing out of the shadows around the corner, as it seemed...

Husband: "W-What is that...?!"

And as the creature came forth in the shape of a human... the thing reached out his hand, before... running straight towards the man, attempting to get to him... this sudden change of movement scared the crap out of the man and he began running for his life... quick decisions were decisive in that very moment... but before he could think of running back to the bedroom to warn his lover, he found himself being caught by the creature, who has caught him right around the ankle, making him trip and fall flat on his face...

Husband: "Hey! Let me go! Help!"

And he especially began screaming in total agony, as he realized... this thing was eating away the flesh around his ankle and burned like hell, and he was only able to break free, because of his wife coming to kick the unknown creature away from her lover, but even with her having saved her husband... both found themselves cornered, as this thing has changed its shape... instead of one being, it has become now three of the same thing and as the two ran to the living room, both were then surrounded by six of them... the beings got closer and closer... and all that could be heard, were screams of terror and pain...

Two Hours Later...

The local police of Hong Kong has been summoned to close the apartment for investigation... the securing of remaining evidence of the murder went straight ahead, as Jun and Lei checked upon the corpses... the couple had now deformed faces, obviously caused by the creatures having apparently nibbled away their flesh, alongside the muscle tissue underneath and all that remained, were faces, that were halfway gone with nothing but the bones being revealed on the fresh wounds... the sight alone was enough for Lei to feel sick on the inside... and he gagged a little...

"Sorry, but... this is one of these kinds of moments, where being vegetarian will actually prove to have more than ONE good use..."

"Hehe, told you to not grant yourself one more beer, before us setting off..."

"Nah, this is the least of my issues... my biggest one being too sensitive for this kind of procedure and that is checking the dead, rotting corpses of the case... and whoever did that, hoho, he or she has absolutely no taste... literally."

Even in the most unsuitable moments, Jun finds her partner's jokes to always get her a good kicker and she couldn't help chuckling.

"My, my, aren't you on a lucky streak today with your weird puns. It's not very often, that you succeed, even with me..."

"Hey-hey, don't get too ahead of yourself, that was only-"

However... in this very moment... Jun sensed something, behind Lei... it was a faint buzzing...

"...look out!"

...before a shadow formed behind Lei and Jun was forced to throw him onto the other side to save him from the sudden ambush, before the drunkster then bounced off the couch with a very acrobatic corkscrew spin, landing elegantly back on his feet. All the police men in the room took out their guns and began pointing them at the raven black, eyeless creature, before many more of this thing began appearing in the room, with one of them getting caught by one of them, before Jun came in to kick this monster away, who had just tried to feast on one of her colleagues.

Police Officer #1: "W-What are these...?!

And then, Lei had to rescue Jun, as one of these creatures has decided to jump on her from behind, while she was not paying attention...

"Jun, behind you!"

...with Lei jumping forward in mid-air to kick the monster with both legs, obviously landing on his elbow in style, with Jun nodding in gratefulness, before then realizing, that all these creatures have set their eyes mainly on her. That was the signal for the Kazama to give out the warning.

"Lei, take all the others here in the room with you, I will handle this."

"You sure? Because it looks like you will need more than just two hands to deal away with this bunch."

"I won't repeat myself, go! Everyone leave, now!"

And with that, the police men began to retreat with these evil beings following them...

"...alright, but don't come crying to me later!"

"Hey!"

Just then, the whole gang of monsters, who weren't able to properly chase the policemen, because of all the furniture and the narrow corridor, were just about to jump on Jun's partner... when the Kazama put them in their place with a special trick of hers, that held them back, not being able to move further... and all she did, was simply holding her open palm up in the air, right in front of their faces... with Lei looking pretty stumped.

"How... how do you do that...?!"

"This is not important, just go! I will have to do a little research on these abnormalities, please allow me. Wait outside!"

He looked doubtful, but since he believed in her, he nodded, before running out, leaving Jun to handle these monsters all on her own... and once she raised her second palm, the monsters simply didn't come any closer to her, because of her invisible shield holding them back... while she moved to the center of the living room, she kept thinking to herself, wondering where these hideous beings come from...

"18 murder cases... all victims have a past, dominated of either mild, or strong criminality, in one form or another... and whenever we checked the areas, in which the murders took place... I could have sworn... I sensed a dark force, similar to the one, emanating from these seemingly blood-thirsty animals... but... where do they come from...? Surely, these things would never come here into this world on their own... unless..."

The last part... made Jun's become narrow in seriousness, as she suspected the absolute worst.

"...unless someone actually summoned them over and commanded them to do this despicable kind of act."

And since these creatures had an aura, that the Kazama felt... awfully familiar with... she grew to have somewhat of an idea, on who she has to take to custody for it... but suddenly, she had to snap back to reality, because the monsters somehow broke her barrier and were ready to attack, when she jumped back in a backflip, barely dodging a scratching attack from one of them, before landing safely on her feet, doing her fighting stance... soon enough, she found herself surrounded by them, right on the same spot, where the victims suffered their incoming fate...

And it began with all the creatures, each one at a time, jumping in her direction, bombarding her with scratching and ramming attacks, but due to her fast reflexes and excellent flexibility, none of it was a problem for her and despite the monsters obviously wanting her blood on their claws, hand, whatever it looked like... she remained at balance and didn't show any signs of fatigue or feebleness, even after a while of having let them attack her... but soon, she grew tired of this and decided to go for a finishing blow...

"You... let me be your guide... back to hell...!"

Then, it all stopped, when Jun began glowing in a sky-blue light, getting engulfed in almost blinding spark of white, making the monsters shriek in agony... then it zoomed outside, where the light "eruption" could be seen from miles away... even Lei saw it from below, covering his eyes with one hand, before the light disappeared, making him wonder, what exactly just occurred before his very eyes...

Later...

He and Jun reunited at the bottom of the building, right on the streets... with her not showing any physical ruins in any way... confirming, she came out of this, alive and well... but just as the two reunited, Jun had to ask.

"The keys?"

"Huh? Let me guess... you... could have the culprit right before your inner eyes...?"

"Precisely... and this might get a little personal, so... you better stay here and let me do the job alone. Not to worry, I won't be gone for long... I hope..."

"Tsk, OK, then go right ahead."

He then throws the keys to their cab over to her and she catches it with no problem. As she made her way to the car, she began looking serious...

"Just you wait... I haven't forgotten... nor do I plan on forgiving... I am coming."

And with that, the middle old Kazama jumps right in and speeds off, using her more or less "divine" instincts to find the responsible one for this case...

Meanwhile somewhere else...

In a deserted area, somewhere outside of Hong Kong, there was a pub. In there, you'd always find the shadiest of the shady and rightfully so, because... on one of the stools, was sitting a figure, wearing white-red sneakers, old and frayed jeans, a leather jacket with a white, somewhat dirt-covered tank top underneath and blood red gloves with silver pearls on the back of his palms... with a golden necklace, hanging from around the neck of the familiar, yet sinister individual... his face though wasn't very visible, because of the poor lighting around the bar itself, however... as this mysterious man took a good sip of his ice cool Jack Daniels, he then asked the bartender to give him more.

"Refill please..."

"Are you sure? That was your eighth shot, man."

"Look, I don't care..."

And the man leaned closer into the light... Kazuya Mishima came forth from the dark.

"...just refill."

His scar-covered face, sort of terrified the bartender, but he hid it, because he wouldn't want to throw out a customer like that out of the blue... and anyhow, Kazuya did not make a very combative impression, like how we are used to from him, instead, he looked pretty... worn out and emotionally "crippled" in a way, as if he has completely forgotten the threatening nature of himself... so of course, the man saw no reason anymore to be scared of the Mishima, looking at him twice and he simply nodded and did as he was told, just refilling Kazuya's cup with more Jack Daniels.

"Here you go."

"Hmph."

As Kazuya was enjoying his now ninth shot of booze, he began to reflect on everything, that has happened in the course of his life... his father, his former rule over the Mishima Zaibatsu, what he did to him, his son, his first meeting with Akuma and his short-lived reunion with his mother... he just couldn't stop thinking of the demon's words, before the two almost died in that explosion, caused by the satellite...

"Tsk... "I have a debt to fulfill for Kazumi"... more like, a debt, that was anything, but productive..."

He then remembered Kazumi's words, before she prepared to battle him and Heihachi, close before Jin had to fight her...

FLASHBACK

Devil Kazumi is seen, facing her son and her husband with a serious look, with Jin, Jun, Lars, Alisa and Lee accompanying them...

Devil Kazumi: "You think I ever loved you two...? Tsk, what nonsense. As if Mishima trash like you would ever be able to feel compassion... tell me, many people, that you mercilessly trampled on with all your power, had loved ones... have you spared their lives? Of course not, SURELY, you did it, because you wanted to protect my "honour", my "loyalty" to your family and my "legacy"... how hollow... HOLLOW I say!"

She then spreads her wings, looking disdainfully at her own family, specifically Kazuya now, who looked like he had lost all belief... he was not prepared for all this and it came so quickly back to him, he felt... betrayed. But with Heihachi, it wasn't any better... and Kazumi did not show any kind of remorse for her words, indicating... she seemed very honest and convincing about it and that serious look of hers soon turned into a look so full of hatred and bloodlust, she prepared herself...

Devil Kazumi: "You... Kazuya... the one, who bears the blood of the Devil, the blood of the Hachijos... and my blood... a disgraceful abortion like you does not deserve the right to possess that kind of power!"

What happened from there, was way too quick for Kazuya to comprehend... since he was too exhausted from the fight with his father... he was almost completely defenceless... so he waited for Kazumi to offer him the best possible punishment... however, it was stopped by Jin, who had jumped forward to block her flying punch with his crossed arms... watching that happen, gave Kazumi even more reason to mock her own bloodline further... as she could tell, Jin had the same power like Kazuya... probably even mightier than his...

Devil Kazumi: "Heh, Jin Kazama... defending your own bloodline now, oh, the irony is stunning... you were better off, watching and learning on how to deal with Heihachi's caliber... but it seems, you haven't learned a thing... good, then I will take the pleasure, of destroying you first!"

Jin: "You will not obtain anybody's power here!"

Devil Kazumi: "I will! Starting with you!"

And from that point on, as the fight between Jin and Devil Kazumi raged on... Kazuya had a mind conflict... he was not able to describe, how he felt... but what he did feel, was sincere loneliness... anything he has done so far, just to avenge his beloved mother, only to then realize, she has never really loved him and now wants him dead... Akuma's words made sense now... Kazumi indeed wanted to eliminate him and Heihachi, her own flesh and blood... his sorrow totally overshadowed his rage, he felt... he has lost face, his identity... totally abandoned by the same person, who gave him life, who showed him love from the bottom of her heart, aside from his grandfather... that is all no more. He felt his heart, alongside his burning will for vengeance... shattering to smithereens...

Kazuya: "..."

Without a single word, he turned around and slowly went away from the battle... looking back... with a single tear running down his cheek, before transforming into his Devil form, only to then slowly fly away, not daring to look back...

FLASHBACK ENDS

And now he is here, not knowing what to do with his life anymore... he has lost the will to live, now knowing, his entire family has abandoned him... he is a nobody... but something inside him told him, to not go and kill himself... he could not tell, what it exactly was though, as he found it too vulgar and fake... and pathetic... he had to mutter to himself, staying true to his life philosophy...

"Tsk, life has no real purpose... all you do, is just fighting to survive and if you can't do that... Game Over, for you... you could perish at cancer, you could commit suicide, you could fall off a cliff... nobody will care, because you are a loner, a tiny organism in the big, wide ocean, that is the world... this is how it goes... yup."

He took another sip of his drink, before hearing something shouting outside, before the unknown individual entered the bar, walking groggily to the stools, sitting down only two seats away from Kazuya...

The man looked quite stressed as he ordered to get a drink. He had strange brown hair and wore a headband with the Japan design in the middle. Kazuya glanced at him as the unknown person took off the headband and finally got his requested booze. However, he noticed that he was being watched by the middle-aged Mishima and comically returned the glance and shouted at him.

?: "Hey! What are you looking at?!"

That loud and obnoxious tone in his voice way more than enough to make Kazuya already lose his patience with this young man... but he decides to ignore him and care about his own business... without noticing the unknown approaching him from the left, yelling at him again.

?: "Yeah, I was talking about you! You dare to look at the great Joe Higashi so disrespectfully, huh?! Do you have anything to tell me?"

Since this was so unexpected, the Mishima at first did not know how to react to that sudden change of demeanor on Joe's behalf, however... he certainly found this man to be a major nuisance already and he didn't even have to try... but to not cause an unnecessary scene, he decides to keep it as cool and reserved as possible...

"Why won't you mind your own business? Leave me alone and shut your trap, you are not the only one here, you know..."

Joe looked around him and noticed that only a few were watching. But this didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. If anything, it only gave him fuel, especially if a fight was about to come out of this situation. And since he hated it, if someone told him to shut up... Joe pouted.

"You don't tell the strongest fighter to shut up."

As he said that, he drank his beer before looking back at him.

"And now speak! Why were you looking at me like that? Were you looking for trouble?"

Kazuya sighed, shaking his head in disbelief, before looking back at the guy... but this time, you could hear a slight threat...

"No, I was NOT. All I want you to do, is to simply leave me alone and do whatever you want, just not with me being pulled into it and if you can't shut the hell up... then get out and bother someone else with your BS. All you do is just disturbing my moment... am I clear?"

"Am I smelling something that sounds like a "threat"? Ha! Don't think you can scare the strongest legend, that is I!"

As Joe said that, he resumed drinking his beer, and seemed really like he was about to get drunk. And the way he was boasting himself, was amusing the Mishima.

"The strongest legend? You? Heh, bollocks."

Upon hearing that, Joe's eyes shot wide open in a comically angry manner before slamming the beer down and looking at Kazuya angrily.

"How dare you?! I'm Joe Higashi! And I'm the strongest fighter, Japan has ever seen...!"

All that Kazuya could do was simply to scoff and look at the japanese boy with anything, BUT an amused look.

"Hear my advice: Better stop exaggerating with the beer, or else it might make you lose control and you will end up in a non-pleasant way, no longer being aware of what you are saying or doing. Got it?"

Joe, now having drunk up another glass of beer, now groggily jumped off of his stool and stumbled over to Kazuya, brutally grabbing him by the collar of his leather jacket, before shaking him back and forth, making the Mishima slightly grow angrier every passing second...

"You are not to give me orders, you bigmouth...! Nobody insults the great Muay Thai wonderchild, Joe Higashi..."

He then raised his fist, ready to punch the Mishima in the face, with all the men around them standing up, starting to grow excited over what is going to happen... and they began to cheer for Joe to punch him...

"...and gets away unharmed!"

His fist was just about to touch Kazuya's skin... when his wrist then suddenly got grabbed by a firm grip, coming from the Mishima's left hand... who then throws a look at Joe, that was filled deep and honest glee over his misfortune.

"My apologies, but cheap shots like that are too easy for me..."

At this point, Joe grew angrier and attempted to throw knee attacks over Kazuya's stomach. He didn't feel anything and so he just headbutted Joe hard in order to make him crash to the floor. Joe jumped back on his feet and made his fighting stance, although he was staggering a little due to him being drunk. Kazuya raised one eyebrow and folded his arms while waiting for Joe to attack.

"...is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"You... bet your wrinkly ass, it is... you cocky dipshit...! I will gladly take you... just to remind you... that I don't like being disrespected like that...! Prepare yourself...!"

Kazuya was not really impressed or intimidated by this guy's threats, as they felt them to be empty and just as an excuse to hide his hurt feelings... not giving a damn, he did his trademark, Karate stance and taunted him to come closer.

"You really must be in a hurry... then come at me, it will be my personal pleasure to knock you back to the sad reality you are living in."

"Over my dead body, pal...!"

"You're gonna taste the floor hard...! And I will raise my fist up in triumph...!"

Clearly, Joe's arrogance was annoying Kazuya all the more. Joe then charged at him and began to throw his regular Muay Thai attacks at the Mishima... that seemed very familiar to Kazuya. It reminded him of an old acquaintance of his, Bruce Irvin, meaning he didn't have that much trouble avoiding or blocking them. With the only difference being, that these attacks seemed quicker than usual. At first it seemed as if Joe was getting the upper hand.

"Prepare to lose...!"

"...Not a chance!"

Just as the young Muay Thai fighter threw a supposedly devastating kick to Kazuya's face, he ducked forward, barely avoiding the kick, with his right fist starting to spark blue...

"Huh?!"

"Eat this!"

...only to then brutally Dragon Uppercut the Muay Thai fighter, right under the chin, making him fall a few meters away from him, only for him to land and crash against a table's edge.

Once that happened... someone from another table stood up from his seat. It was a korean young man with short brown hair. He didn't like how this is going. And he was always able to tell if someone was "evil" or not, just by glancing at the individual. And after seeing Kazuya hitting Joe that hard with that sparking fist, he had enough. Especially since Joe was a friend of his. However, his master and the latter's lover attempted to reason with him.

"Kim, forget it."

"Master, how can I?! Joe is a friend! And that man truly looks like bad news!"

However, his master shook his head. But just as the three resumed looking, they saw Joe suffering a royal beatdown from Kazuya. Since Joe was too drunk, he couldn't fight properly. This was too much for Kim and so he attempted to intervene, only to be stopped by his master's voice.

"Kim, don't."

"Master... evil is unforgivable! I can't stand here, watch and do nothing."

"That man surely is dangerous. I can sense his strength. He's no ordinary fighter. There are times you can't win, even when you try your hardest! Forget about this and keep calm."

Kim didn't want to believe it and surely he couldn't stand there and watch an old acquaintance of his getting beat up hard by someone like Kazuya, who looked like an evil man to him.

"But... I need to stop this man somehow!"

Just then... the woman of the trio, who was the lover of Kim's master's... approached him and gave Kim a smug much to the latter's confused face.

"Don't worry... let me handle this."

Kim's master, Gang-Li, attempted to call his lover's name to stop her, but it was too late. Kazuya was just finished beating Joe up. The latter was covered in bloody bruises all over his face... and Kazuya grabbed him by his shoulder and smirked evilly.

"Playtime's over, fool..."

The middle-aged Mishima then prepared to punch Joe one last time, before hearing a feminine and a bit seductive voice.

"Excuse me, sir."

Kazuya narrowed his eyes, before turning his head to the right to see a beautiful, korean woman with long black hair.

"What do you want?"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Luong. As much as I love the thrill of a fight, this is going a tad too far. So, if possible, could you please settle down and let the poor boy, go?"

Since Joe seemed to have had quite enough of this beating, the Mishima has already lost interest. All that he really wanted to do, was to teach the Muay Thai champ an important lesson and that is to not mess around and let out all his problems on strangers... because you may never be aware of the consequences, so... he simply let him go, making Joe drop on one knee, before falling face first on the floor, panting... with Kazuya simply chuckling.

"Tsk, better ask HIM that, he was the one, who challenged me, not me him. And the old saying goes: The taller ones fall deep, very deep. So it serves him right. Figures, when you can't control your own hormones and sorrows... THIS is the result of all that goes wrong, when you leave your own boundaries, not knowing what do with yourself..."

However, Luong did not really like that response and as she kneeled down to help Joe up, by lifting him back up with one arm under his armpit, she looks at the Mishima with serious eyes.

"You are not a very cheery fellow, are you? That was no excuse to beat him up like that. He could have died and from the way you did it, it certainly looked like you were about to kill him... have you no shame?"

Having heard that to the fullest... it was clear, that didn't sit well with the Mishima, because he gets all the blame for it, when really, Joe started it all and even started escalating it... to the point, where he started molesting him... so he had every reason to sound a little angry.

"Look who is talking. Go on, white-knight him, it's not like he threatened me first... if you don't know your bounds, you shouldn't mess with others and expect to come out as the victor."

Since Kim, who was watching the confrontation, always could sense when someone has a sort of evil energy, he truly didn't like where this was going and so he intervened and attempted to defend Luong while glancing at Kazuya. The latter rolled his eyes.

"And you? What do you want?"

"...You should better listen to what she said. Joe may have blindly overreacted, but there was no need to injure him like the way you just did. You have no honour!"

Just then, Joe slowly lifted his head to reveal his weak angry face as he glanced at Kazuya and panted.

"Must... crush... you...!"

But then he seemed to have passed out and Kim quickly went to help Luong in holding Joe. And with that, the two Koreans returned to Gang-Li and went away, just wanting to get their good friend some medical attention... but as they left the bar, they saw a woman pass right by them... that mysterious woman was no other than Jun Kazama... Kim has seen her face and already, he felt that something was odd about her... and he did not mean it in a positive way...

Just then, Kazuya was about to pay for the drinks... he then hears a voice, that rang an immediate bell in his head... and he began to feel alarmed...

?: "Found you..."

...he turns his attention over towards the door and in the way stood the one woman, he has had a relationship before, exactly two decades ago... Jun Kazama. Her cold appearance alone made him shiver on the inside and he felt like his stomach began to churn.

"Kazuya Mishima... I am placing you under arrest."

These words, that were supposed to be a serious threat to him... made him smile, then chuckle and soon... it turned into a serious laughter, making the Kazama feel somewhat insulted... but he didn't care and it showed through his response to her "greeting".

"Really? Is this how you greet an old friend of yours? If so, then I wouldn't need any enemies from now on."

All that Jun did to show her distaste for Kazuya's disrespectfulness, was folding her arms and looking at him with narrowed eye brows.

"...and as always, you don't take anyone seriously, nothing has changed with you. I thought you were better than that."

And Kazuya did the same pose in return, just to sort of mock her.

"This is new and I thought, saying a simple 'Hello' is a well-enough greeting. No, instead, put me behind bars right away, excuse me..."

But he knew for a fact, that she would never meet up with him for no reason, so he had to find out her motives... and take it slowly.

"Let me ask... what do you want from me? I thought, I wasn't interesting enough for you anymore... but apparently, judging from the look in your eyes, you want something..."

"And rightfully so... I am here to arrest you for 18 cases of cold-blooded murder. And when it comes to cases like these, me being nice in this, is something you can just dream of. But I can't do that right away, unless you actually admit it yourself... was it you, who killed them?"

"...the details?"

"Whenever I investigated on the locations, in which the murders went down, I always managed to sense dark and completely unnatural energy... I cannot confirm, from where this phenomenon originates, but I can tell for a fact... these incidents were no coincidence, because all of the killed victims had a past, that was connected to criminal activities on their behalf... it may sound like a prejudice to you, but... since you are the only one, that I know of, that is most likely capable of using dark energy as he pleases... knowing that you have the Devil gene within you... AND that you actually killed criminals yourself in the past, with your own hands... well, are you the culprit? Just be honest and I might play nicer with you."

But all she got as a response, was a chuckle, coming from Kazuya and him looking at her with mocking eyes...

"You really want the truth, right?"

"Well, did you kill them or not? I don't feel like wasting too much time with you."

...however, what came next, was something Jun would have never predicted to happen. Kazuya did a few Karate kicks, before getting into his typical Mishima Karate stance, throwing a challenging look at the middle-aged Kazama.

"...then you will just have to beat the answer out of me. I am interested in seeing, how much you have improved over the years."

Jun grew increasingly angry, as she really hated Kazuya's "childish" behaviour... however, he might really be the only one, who knows something... so she decides to play and accept his offer.

"...we may risk lives, should we fight here. Let's go outside, somewhere deserted."

This made the Mishima grin.

"Ladies first."

Later...

Both found themselves in the woods close by... the fight was to take place in this clearing, right here, right now... and with that, Kazuya starts warming up, by cracking his neck and then starting to jump up and down, lifting his legs separately to warm up, if he was to do one of his trademark moves. Jun actually did a warm up, that consisted of her stretching her arms and legs and even doing a little yoga to keep her body at balance, to make it remain flexible... and while she did, she looks at Kazuya.

"That you ask me out to a challenge like that... in a moment of urgency... you really must be deadset on making your situation even worse..."

"Story of my life, dear... fighting is about who is left standing, nothing else."

While the Mishima focused his eyes on Jun, it was then, when he realized, that something was odd about her... that aura that she had in her... it felt completely different from what he has seen of her in the past. She certainly wasn't the same. But what was it, that made her have this unknown feel to her... he began thinking to himself.

"Something is definitely not right with her. She thinks she is so smart, but she can't fool my eyes... Ever since, she has shown herself... this cannot be the same Jun, that I met in the past, or... is she? That power brewing inside her was not the same as before, certainly not... she is a Kazama, sure, but... this might need some extra observation."

Then, both did their fighting stance... keeping it silent, with the cold air around them suddenly starting to heat up a little, as each of them start to reveal sparks emanating from them... Kazuya in red and Jun in blue... and while she was keeping her eyes focused on the very man before her, she began to feel something coming up inside her... and it was anything, but respect...

"Just you wait... I am going to make you pay...! This is for my son and all the people, who fell under your wrath...!"

"Hmph, just try it... but I guarantee, that it won't be easy..."

Both then stopped the sparking and caused little shockwaves, indicating they are at MAX. strength and ready to go... both then charged at one another, jumping up to strike with fully charged rights...

Their punches clashed with one another, causing a strong shockwave to make the trees around them shiver under the pressure. After that, both jumped back to gain a little distance, before Kazuya becomes the first to try and strike Jun with a punch... which she dodged, by stepping aside and then block with her raised, left wrist... with the two throwing serious looks at one another, before Jun then went ahead to kick the Mishima in the gut, which he blocked with his other hand, by catching her ankle... causing the two to retreat again, by performing two backflips. And they dashed at one another once more, starting a relentless struggle, by repeatedly throwing incredibly fast kicks and punches at one another, with seemingly no end in sight... until Jun parries one of Kazuya's punches with a typical Aikido parry, by grabbing his entire wrist, only to then throw him over onto the other side, making him roll across the grass and just when she thought, she succeeded, Kazuya's red eye lit up and he smirked...

"As if I'd let you...!"

The middle-aged Kazama was just about to land on Kazuya's back with a stomp from above, but he foresaw her plan and swiftly stood up in a twist... only to catch her by her throat, holding her in a way, as if she would get choked by him, only to then let go off her... and then nail her with two well-timed punches in mid-air, right in the gut, before sending her flying with a roundhouse kick. She was just about to crash into a nearby tree, only to then open her eyes and stop the fallback, by bouncing off of the bark of the tree with her legs, landing back down on the ground in grace, totally unscathed.

"You arrogant little... you won't get away with this."

"Oh, were my punches too strong for you? Feel like crying?"

"Nonsense."

This time, it was Jun's turn to charge at her personal enemy. And she attempts to first hit Kazuya with a jumping kick from above with both legs... but sadly, it got blocked by the Mishima, just by crossing his arms together and to further insult to injury, he makes her fly back a little after impact with a weak shockwave, caused by his Elkeid. But again, she landed perfectly back on the grass, with no injuries inflicted on herself and it only gave her more fuel to continue fighting... and much like she wanted, Kazuya went for a frontal assault too and he decides to thrust forward with a Glorious Demon God Fist, however... just before it could land a good hit on his former "lover", she did her Genjitsu stance, that totally caught him off guard, which Jun used to her advantage, as she then deflected his attack, making him stumble backwards and then ended his plan of frontal assault for good, by nailing him to the ground with an axe kick from her left leg.

"Ugh!"

That kick has directly targeted his stomach... making him spit up some blood, with him being stunned afterwards, because of him clutching his gut, not having been prepared for that low blow. And to further insult him, Jun stood up, looking down at Kazuya in disdain.

"Just so you know... THAT was for Jin."

However... what came next, was the least expected... while she sort of showered herself in success a little... Kazuya then snapped, opened his eyes abruptly...

"...and here is a present from me!"

...before stunning the Kazama, who did not see this coming at all, with a rising, sparking Demon God Fist, right in her solar plexus. That forced Jun to double forward, with her eyes rolling back into her head with her drooling saliva, mixed with blood.

"Hehehe, come on, is that all you've got?"

And before she could get any chance to defend herself, Kazuya has already grabbed her by her shoulder, pulling her closer to kick her once from the left and then to the right, all with the same leg. That was a truly devastating combo on the Mishima's behalf, but even with Jun having gotten caught like that... giving up was not in her book. And Kazuya saw this as the perfect opportunity to mock her a little, with him pressing his foot against her back, while smirking.

"Don't tell me, you still feel like ending this case. Who is to say, somebody else did it and NOT me? Oh, I forgot, you can't find it out, because I won't tell you..."

This constant mocking really began to wear upon the Kazama's patience with this man... she has already begun hating him before for what he did to her and her son, but this was unacceptable... she growled, as she tried to stand up, but couldn't because of the weight of Kazuya, that he puts into his one foot, pressed against her backside... just further increasing her personal resentment and frustration towards him...

"You bastard...! Get off...! You'll be sorry, you hear me...?! You've caused more than enough trouble, as you've already done...! How long shall this go on, until your hunger for domination has been finally quenched...?! Getting intimate with me and then leaving me in the dust like that was not enough for you... and now you have the nerve to mock ME...?!"

The Mishima sighed in desperation, as he was genuinely looking forward in fighting with an old friend of his... he shrugged, before taking his foot off of her back, looking a little bemused.

"Really now...? I expected more from you, but it seems, you are not even worth a warm up... unless you want to get serious now and you were only warming up yourself..."

"...and I will!"

"Wha-?! What's going on...?! I can't move!"

Without a warning, Kazuya then suddenly found himself frozen in place, not being able to move an inch, as if time stopped for him... and it wasn't until now, when he realized... Jun was doing that... everything around him became dark and all he saw before him, was Jun herself with closed eyes... who was the only light, illuminating the "room" they were in... but something inside him told him... this may be Jun... on the outside. As he has previously sensed something different with her... it was a pure spirit and this is something that Jun has always been, sure, but... this is a totally different league... and it felt awfully familiar to him, as if he has seen and felt that already... and the odd tone in Jun's voice was one of many indicators...

"It's been a long time, Kazuya... I am actually glad to see you again..."

"Wait a minute... could it be...?!"

...and her now open eyes, that have started to glow a deep shade of sky blue, further confirmed Kazuya's suspicions. No doubt about it, he knows this power all too well.

"...Angel?! Is that you? What are you doing in Jun's body?!"

"I was actually sent to protect you... but with all the crimes you have committed in the present... I cannot let you get on with it. My sincerest apologies, but the sinners need to be punished... and the same shall happen to you."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Certain Mysteries Are To Be Unveiled

**Chapter 4: Certain Mysteries Are To Be Unveiled**

Angel and Jun... they are one and the same? That was the everlasting question, that Kazuya was craving to find an answer for... as he was being held captive by Angel's soul paralysis, making him stay locked in time and place, in total nothingness... even though, he was sort of glad to finally hear from his good half again, the situation he ended up in was anything, but part of his clue on how a real reunion should run down. And just listening to Jun's threat, didn't help it...

"Kazuya... how long have I been waiting to finally make you pay your own debts with me? The opportunity was not present... until now. Oh no, I am not someone to simply forget, move on and pretend like nothing of the sort happened with the likes of you, this is not how I run."

Since Kazuya was still unable to fight back, due to the paralysis... even he grew more or less annoyed with her... he was more than curious on what Angel was doing inside the same woman, he used to be intimate with... but given the circumstances, he instead decided to save it for later... as it was calling for drastic measures.

"Oh really? Aren't you a strange case? Do I need to remind you, that it was YOUR idea to get involved with me in the first place and NOT mine? You could have taken the more professional route, but no way, simply drop your own role as an authority and go out of your way to break rules and then blame ME for everything, because I am Kazuya. Clever, very clever..."

He then began resisting the paralysis, by growling and using his own brute force to break free... but it was futile, as long as Jun's hypnotic, blue eyes were set on him, moving is severely restricted to just the head... and the more the Kazama looked at her former lover, she grew ever more dismayed and it shined through her risen tone in voice. And while she let the degrading words roll down her tongue, she approached the Mishima with slow steps...

"I would rather keep my own mouth in check, if I were you... if it was mainly my fault, why didn't you stop me then? Oh, that's right, because you lack the ability to feel shame and remorse, I totally forgot... and what's more, apparently, you have become pretty forgetful. You say, I gave you my consent to touch me inappropriately... I cannot recall such a thing, but then again, because of you loving to take risks, you did it anyway, not caring about what I think about all of this. So, I'd advise you..."

With these words leaving her mouth, even his patience has grown thin with her... he knew, she was lying. She did allow him to feel her in more ways than one, despite not many words having been spoken and she even accepted it without resistance... and yet, he gets blamed for everything that happened without any explicit facts given... and that alone, was what made his blood boil... just then, Jun was then standing right before her, with one hand glowing completely blue, indicating she is ready to strike him down... before the jab even lands a hit on him with Jun sounding even angrier than before...

"...TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!"

...she then had to shockingly realize, that it had no effect, as Kazuya has apparently broken free of her paralysis and caught her glowing hand by the wrist, giving out a dark purple light. It was then, when she noticed, that the Mishima's tone has become more deeper than earlier.

"...shut your mouth yourself, hypocrite."

"What the-?! Devil...!"

Then, the two returned back to the real world, with both of Kazuya's eyes starting to glow a stinging red, with his skin turning purple and horns growing on his forehead. Since her petite hand was still in his grip, she then felt an immense pain running through her body, caused by the painfully tight grip around her wrist, forcing her on one knee, trying desperately to get her hand out of the Mishima's, but even with her assisting her one hand, by using the other, it was no use. It all became clear, that she was no longer dominant and that the demon inside Kazuya partially awakened...

"I don't even know, why I bother with you... but who am I kidding? You've always been pretty dense and so far, you have proven me correct. You aren't any better than your stupid son... why even looking behind the curtains and act rationally, when you can just act upon mere emotion and make yourself look like a total buffoon in the end? It's way too easy."

He then finally lets go of her and jumps back, crossing his arms, as red sparks surround him, signalizing him finally being ready.

"Well, then allow me to teach you a lesson on how to act "rationally", shall we?"

The female Interpol officer nods, before spreading out her arms to charge up too with blue sparks and a thin sphere of light surrounding her... with the two fighters preparing for battle once more, the nature around them began to shiver...

"It seems words do not seem to reach you... good, then allow me to repay you the favour."

Both then sped at one another, with Kazuya being the first to punch her... and barely missing in the process, only to get his punching knuckle getting grabbed by both of her hands, with Jun twisting him around, clutching his hand and pressing it twisted against his backside, before kicking him away real hard, but he recovered real quick from that, before letting Jun take her spot. She jumped forward, elegantly landing back on her feet, before speeding at the Mishima, raising one leg to then smash her foot against his head... but he blocks it with a risen wrist and then grabs her foot, before kicking her real hard in the gut, making her fall back. And because he grabbed hold of her ankle, the recoil caused by the kick, made her fall flat on her back without any way to sustain stability for herself...

And with that, Kazuya was ready to stomp down on her, before she blocked it, by crossing both of her arms and making him tumble back, by pressing her crossed arms forward, just to gain a perfect spot to attack. And she did succeed in doing so. With Kazuya tumbling for just mere seconds, she swiftly stood back up in a twisting motion, before uppercutting the Mishima in the air with a Dragon Uppercut, targeting his chin and indeed, that one hit really did the trick with him as he was flying defenceless in mid-air. The Kazama though refused to give him any time to catch his breath again and instead jumped up, only to then make him hit the grassy grounds hard, by kicking once in the back, before kicking him down from above with a kick in the back of his head...

To avoid a harsh and much more painful impact, the Mishima quickly regained control over himself, by pressing his hands and feet against the ground, landing safely like a cat on all fours, before jumping aside to dodge a stomping kick from above, coming from the middle aged Kazama, who then attacked again with a spinning roundhouse kick, which got parried with ease, before Kazuya used the right moment to then do his trademark Spinning Demon move, just to make her fall again and before she could land on the grass, right before impact, Kazuya sent Jun flying, by punching her in the gut real quick with a Devil Fist... and there she went. Rolling across the grass repeatedly with the agony being written in her eyes...

Just then, she was ready to crash into the rocks, before then going for drastic measures... by making use of more of Angel's powers... she opens her eyes and then, totally out of nowhere, two huge white appeared on her backside, stopping the fall from continuing, by letting them smite in the opposite direction, before then regaining her balance in mid-air. Jun was indeed growing more and more tired of this... but she refuses to leave this case undone, as she made the vow of a police officer to never lose her target out of sight...

"I can't let this guy stay ahead of me...! I need to find closure... but since he shows no signs in stopping this nonsense anytime soon... I have no other choice but to go all out!"

Surprisingly, Kazuya was starting to enjoy this fight again. Most likely due to the fact, that Jun finally decides to take this more seriously... and that he is actually getting the chance to fight Angel separately from himself, with her no longer bothering him on the inside. It felt so right, at least on his behalf. And he showed his trademark grin, before stomping the ground again, spreading out his own wings, that of the devil himself.

"Hmph... so we are getting straight to the point now, huh? Fine with me. At least, you now realize, how bored I was up until now."

"All these words are about to be cramped back into your digestive tract."

Both were going for the third round... they both spread their wings wide open, before flying at one another with extreme velocity and the moment their fists clashed, the shockwave it caused around them actually made the ground underneath them crack open, as if you would repeatedly hit the shell of an egg against the sharp edge of a cup. And a tough struggle ensued, with none of the two oppositions growing worn anytime soon... and then, both punched one another, with each of their knuckles hitting the other right in the cheek, before eventually continuing to assault one another simultaneously.

It all then came down to one of the two growing tired of this struggle, just wanting to end it and finally gain advantage again... this time, it was Jun's turn...

"That's it!"

Her eyes then began to glow blue again, signalizing that Angel is taking over again, preparing to freeze time again for Kazuya...

"Prepare to feel my divine wrath..."

...but just when she was ready to let the energy of hers go, just to reach the Mishima, he suddenly disappeared before her eyes in a purple mist, before reappearing right in front of her, gently grabbing both of her petite arms, giving her a sly grin.

"...huh?!"

"More like, bloody forget it..."

"Why you...!"

"Am I too unfair for your taste? Better tell that yourself, before starting to accuse strangers of things they never did... also, if I were you, you have the least right to complain about "being unfair"... what have you done so far to prove, you are better than me?"

And in one instance, his fist connected then quickly with her solar plexus and like before, it was swift, unexpected and agonizingly painful... so much so, Jun was too stunned to move...

"..."Nothing", was the correct answer."

...before she then gets sent flying with a vicious roundhouse kick from the Mishima. And this time, there was no way, she was going to stop this fall and as expected... she crashed right into the rocks, leaving Kazuya smirking, before he returns back to his base form, feeling quite pleased with him, as he shrugged indifferently.

"It's a true shame, really... two decades of my life for this? And here I thought, you'd be actually capable of so much more... too bad, but, I got to go. Bye-bye."

But just as he was about to take his leave... he didn't know what just struck his backside, but it felt like a thousand meteors raining down on him, coming together to form one huge flaming rock ball... his mind went almost totally blank... and it turns out, this one hit came expectedly from no other than Jun herself, who despite her apparent injuries, refuses to let this one chance slide of closing this case she was currently working on...

"Stop right there...! You are not going ANYWHERE... you hear me...?!"

...and that punch actually made the Mishima crash through a thick tree bark, and before he could get any chance of finding a safe field for himself to stand on, he found himself being grabbed around the throat by the Interpol officer, almost getting choked, even though it was clear, that was not on her mind anymore, as she has begun to realize, she shouldn't waste her time with him any longer and finally finish this. However, it was undeniable, that both have already exhausted their powers and the wounds start to wear upon their stamina... and despite blood running down Jun's forehead, giving up is not on her mind.

"I am not going to repeat myself... you are the only real suspect at the moment, that I could think of... who should be able to pull something as maliciously brilliant as what happened to these poor civilians, of...! And whether you like it or not... I am NOT the type of woman to stop at the middle of the road and thumb my nose and do nothing... you are coming with me..."

And then, something happened that truly surprised the Kazama on the inside... the Mishima was actually forfeiting. Not because he was scared, but because he finally seemed to have realized... it won't get anywhere at this rate.

"...Fine, you won. I will talk, but under the condition, that you let go of me now... and we can talk this out later like the adults we are."

And as wanted, Jun did so... with Kazuya coughing a little and chuckling.

"But I have to give you that... you ALMOST gave me a heart-attack back there... I am not growing younger anyhow, hehehe..."

And before he knew it... handcuffs were put around one of his wrists, with one half around his and the other around Jun's... the way she did it, actually found Kazuya very interesting... completely wrong thoughts shot through his mind, making him like... she was attempting to "flirt" with him, as the two walked back to civilization...

"Hey, aren't you naughty? Handcuffs, eh? Are you going to make me your slave now? Should I get dominated?"

But as expected, the only response he got out of her was a disgusted:

"...Shut up. Get moving."

"Fine by me..."

Later...

Jun has already called a police cab to take them to the Interpol HQ in downtown Hong Kong... of course, since Kazuya was a sought after criminal throughout the globe, the poor officers, who drove the car, actually felt genuinely uncomfortable in the Mishima's menacing presence. This found Kazuya amusing, as he enjoyed feeling like the boss around here and watching these wimps sweating in fear was oh so good for him... he had to smile to himself.

"Well, pissy pants? Are you in need for a breast for milk, hmm? Hehehe... oh, this is music in my ears..."

And with him chuckling, he also noticed Jun's unamused and irritated face... which made him smirk.

"What? Come on now, you can't tell me that these cry babies before me are actual police officers... if they get scared by my existence alone, how can they possibly do their job correctly, I mean seriously..."

"And as always, you just have to make unnecessary remarks, that are beyond rude... will you ever grow out of this?"

"Hmph... once your face becomes all wrinkly, it might get arranged..."

It wasn't long, before the pair finally arrived before the Interpol police HQ, where they get greeted by Lei Wulong, who was actually happy to see his most loyal partner again...

"Heeey, you finally came! I was growing concerned, y'know."

"Oh, it was nothing really. And you might never guess, who just went into my net..."

With these words, Jun steps aside to present to his partner, Kazuya Mishima, in the flesh... the sight of his man alone made the drunkster's jaw drop deep and he could only stare with nothing pure resentment...

"So you caught the Mishima troublemaker himself, hm? Wonder how you pulled that off..."

"Easy, simply slap him a few times, speak some convincing words with him and he will play along like a good little boy. Honestly, I am surprised that it didn't even take a few seconds... it's almost as if he tries to mock me or something..."

The Mishima then was helped out of the cab with the drivers lifting him off of his seat, before bringing him inside... with Kazuya scaring the hell out of Lei with a very devilish grin, making the drunkster comically panic and then fall on the floor, looking quite dazed, raising his index finger in an attempt to justify himself out of this...

"But I have to give him credit for one thing... he is doomed to always be crowned Number 1 during every Halloween party with this creepy mug of his! And even then, what kind of mum would ever find this face beautiful?"

However, he then jumped, once he heard Kazuya's threatening voice booming out loud, having caught wind of this unnecessary remark of Lei's.

"I heard that!"

"Well... anyways, let's get this over with, I didn't even get proper sleep yet... man, I hate these jobs at night..."

"Oh, trust me, this case will be over soon."

Later inside the Interrogation cell...

After having let the handcuffs get removed, Kazuya was free to sit down and wait patiently for his interviewers... you should know, that he has never really been the kind of man to follow norms or rules, as long as he saw them as completely irrelevant to the matter at hand... so to make himself comfortable, the Mishima, just to relieve his legs, as they were feeling a little stiff from the bout he had with Jun, shamelessly puts his feet on the table, with his hands behind the back of his skull... simply laying back while sighing in content...

"I can't tell why, but this is pretty comfy... who would have thought prison cells can be this cool and isolated, yet very peaceful? I could grow used to this, if I had the opportunity..."

And only twenty minutes later, Jun and Lei, alongside two more officers, finally arrived with the documents, essential for this case... the Super cop opened the yellow files and spreads the pictures of all the murdered victims all over the table for Kazuya to look at, in hopes of finding out, if he knew them and killed them for whatever reason he could come up with... and Jun then broke the silence with a serious question...

"19 victims of murder... and all of them have one thing in common... they previously lived a life, dominated by criminality... and just when they got back to a normal life... under more or less supernatural circumstances, we would always find their bodies, mostly disposed of the majority of their flesh... do you happen to know these people?"

Just as he was told, the middle-aged Mishima took a good long look at all the pictures, with Lei even commentating on each photograph with the personal information that came with the picture, by reading from the files... when he was done looking, he was silent and motionless for a few moments... before then abruptly opening his eyes, as he came to a surprising conclusion... Jun was the first to react, so she had to question him.

"And? What is it?"

"You know what...? I may not know these people personally, nor have I ever seen them face-to-face... and yet, I still recall having caught a glimpse of them... in my dreams, like a vision..."

Hearing that, made Lei look very confused and he had to scratch his head in an annoyed way...

"What is this here? Are you trying to mess with us? Quit the storytelling and-"

However, he was quickly interrupted by his Kazama partner, who began to look even more serious, as she was sort of believing the captured criminal.

"No, wait... what do you mean? Are you saying... that you happened to have seen these people in your head, moments before their death?"

"Not precisely... yes, I DO recall having seen their faces... however..."

Then, Kazuya had to look around himself... he knew, that anyone in this room, except Jun, would think that he and she have gone totally nuts, if he was to tell the whole story on how he was able to "foresee" the fate of these poor victims, as they know nothing about the abilities of a devil and an angel... so, he had to sigh, fold his arms and look a little irritated.

"Jun... would you please be so nice to tell everyone else in this very room to leave us two alone? I'd like to talk this out under four eyes with you."

"Excuse me?"

"They wouldn't even understand my point anyway, so let us better not waste too much time and get straight to the point... as I figured out, that there has to be something way greater behind this than me..."

Having spoken out this request, Jun and Lei looked at one another, with the Kung Fu master shrugging in annoyed manner, as he knew what was coming, so he wouldn't forgive himself, if he was to interfere with Jun's way of handling special kind of cases... because both follow the same goal, after all...

"Fine... do your worst. But if this guy does something suspicious, let me know through a beeper, OK?"

"Yes. Now if you would excuse us..."

And with that, Lei and the other two guards are gone and it was only these two in the room, all by themselves, ready to continue the discussion.

"Where were we? You said something along the lines of "you were able to see them, but you aren't 100% certain"."

"Oh, yes... but before I get on... how did these people get killed exactly? You said, it happened through supernatural circumstances..."

"Indeed, I did... and these hideous creatures I have seen looked like very little beetles, coming together to form one huge manifestation of a body of their choice... I felt it and yet up until today, I was never able to see them with my own eyes... but this day, it was different... they assaulted us in the apartment in which the more recent murder took place..."

Kazuya became silent again... he began thinking to himself... he remembered back around the time of the 4th tournament... after he was released from the recovery chamber... he had begun a research of his own, surrounding the possibilities of a Devil gene or better yet, the origins of it. And after a while of searching, he came across a chapter, talking about a being called "Chinmoku No Shi"... tiny particles, small yet very unpredictable, without knowing the word "mercy", they just feast upon their prey and would do it simultaneously, until the victim is eventually a heap of dead, rotten meat...

"Chinmoku No Shi..."

"Say what?"

"These little beasts are true monsters... as soon as they follow you, all hope is lost... they will find you and once you see them and they see you, you better should make a good run for it, unless you want to end up as an awful smelling pile of meat chunks... I am pretty sure, this is what you saw... this being is connected to the Devil gene, so go figure..."

And then, Jun became curious...

"But then, if that's the case... was it YOU to summon them and mercilessly slaughter these people to pieces?"

"You may find it surprising, but... no, I did not. I am responsible of plenty of things, but out of everything, I can guarantee to 100%... this was not my doing. If anything, I am astonished at how you came to the swift assumption, that it was me... when I don't even know these single individuals..."

As disappointed as the Kazama was, she then fell back in her chair, sighing in frustration, as she tried to collect her thoughts and find the right words to respond...

"Let's say, what you are saying is true... who else do you think could be responsible for this atrocity? From all the people that I have grown to know over the years, with the exception of my son... if it wasn't you, then who else? You are the only one that is actually capable of controlling your Devil gene without any negative side effects... not really hard to figure out, isn't it?"

"That may be true... but let me ask... what am I to you? A damn magician? Do you really think, just because I have a Devil gene, I can magically let unicorns appear or something? I am not familiar with summoning creatures, using my own powers... hell, I didn't even know, that was even possible... until now... and even if I can do it, not even my mother seemed capable of that..."

There was something odd about Kazuya's claim... and in hindsight, remembering Kazumi in her devil form, back in the 7th tournament and how she was able to bring out a tiger in the middle of her combos... Jun indeed grew ever more intrigued...

"And what about that white tiger of hers?"

"I am pretty sure, she doesn't summon that thing from her devil powers alone... if she really did use dark forces to form the tiger, I should have felt it, the moment she tried it, you included. But whenever she brought him out to fight... nothing. So we can conclude... that beast is part of her own soul, her own ghost pet, so to speak..."

The inner disappointment was all too real with the former wildlife officer... she was initially hoping to let this case end rather quickly without too much time going to waste... but apparently, this has just become pure wishful thinking... as the situation has just experienced a more complicated turnabout... but since she had Kazuya before her, understandably, she would have a hard time believing this explanation of his and she grew suspicious, being fully aware, that a criminal can also make up fake alibis to cover their true intentions... and in classic fashion, she had to question everything.

"...how can I tell, that you are most likely trying to hide the truth from me?"

Hearing this question leaving her mouth... this made the Mishima chuckle... again, the irony behind this phrase was simply leaving him stunned. Out of so many others, the very same woman, who apparently never bothered talking to her own flesh and blood about who he really was and instead went out of her way to never even mention him in any context... which would explain, as of why Jin was not able to tell at first, if he really was his father in the first place... just accused him of most likely lying to her... he had to think to himself with a grin on his lips...

"Ah, haha, that is very fancy coming from you... and you call yourself a mother? You don't even know what honesty really is... so I'd suggest someone like you to better shut the hell up... you have no room to complain about lies on others' behalves... no wonder anymore, why this brat of hers had to come after me, not even trying to get to know, who I really am..."

But since this was a topic for another time, he decided to keep it professional... and simply scratch to save it up for later. However, he still went ahead to remain cool and respond just as cool as he looked...

"Didn't I say? I told you, I'd spill the beans, if you were to defeat me in battle... I couldn't make something this ludicrous up, even if I attempted to... but then again... we both make use of supernatural powers ourselves, so I suppose... we are ludicrous too."

Despite her desperate attempts to not crack a little bit of laughter, in the end... it failed and she chuckled just as much as the opposition, since she found it to be so true, it is genuinely hilarious to her...

"OK... I really have to admit it... that was a real good one..."

Her laughter... for the Mishima, even though he felt numb towards any sort of affection... it was strangely melodic to him... he suddenly felt something inside him move... his heart rate increased a tiny bit, as he listened to Jun's way of gentle laughing... a very faint blush appeared on his cheeks, as he murmured to himself...

"Wow, never thought I'd really get the chance to hear her laughing for once... and I must say... it sounds indeed... cute... have I been longing to hear that...? It has been a while for sure... what am I saying, damn it...?!"

However, it quickly got tense again in the room, as the two pulled themselves together and got on with the investigation... and now Jun wanted to further know, if Kazuya was right with what he spoke about.

"If what you are saying is correct... do you have any proof?"

"Not that I know of... the only thing I can definitely prove, is the fact, that whenever I saw these people die in my subconscious state of mind... I never interacted with them in any way... and how could I? I was a damn spirit this whole time, simply watching them meeting their cruel fates... and here, it becomes interesting..."

FLASHBACK

Kazuya, completely transparent, watches the people die at the hands of this vile being, that we now call "Chinmoku No Shi", with them as cruel as it was, ganging up on the poor buggers...

Kazuya: "As I said, I was not able to interfere... and to be frank, I couldn't care less about them... but this was not all that I saw..."

And once the dream was at its end, a human shadow appeared before him... with his surroundings then becoming almost nightmarish... and the being, with stingingly red-glowing, empty sockets, stared at him...

Kazuya: "Before I could gain any idea of escaping the dream world... I would always end up seeing this strange creature... appearing out of nowhere, right before my eyes... with red eyes and no clear significance over the physical features... I was not even 100% if this thing was even human... and this thing would start whispering and muttering total gibberish into my eardrums, I really couldn't understand a word... but then ONE word came, that was much clearer than the others... "Hachijo"..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"And from that point on, this peaked my interest... I wanted to know more... so more often then not, I'd find myself going to the library, every time this nightmare returned to me and wanted to do a little more research on the Hachijos themselves and what this being possibly was... and I came to following results."

He then grabbed inside the pockets of his jacket, only to then unfold a piece of paper, that had like geographical coordinates on it. Jun took a good look at this, before taking out her phone to type in the measures and find out, where these coordinates lead her... surprisingly, it showed the location around the volcano Fuji and when she saw the pictures... she realized, it was a temple, located somewhere along the mountain course to Mt. Fuji...

"And what can I say...? This being was only barely mentioned in the same context with the Hachijos, however... since in general, not much is known about the Hachijo family itself and the being was not even referred to with a proper name... my plan was originally to go to Japan and visit this temple, that also goes by the name of "Temple Hachijo"... just hearing the name alone, gives me the feeling, that this must have been one of the residents, owned by my mother's bloodline, so..."

But Jun then became confused...

"Let me get this straight... you are planning to visit this place?"

"If you want to find the true culprit... why not? Because it's just as I said... I didn't do anything... and I suspect, that this creature is to blame for all this... I may have killed people... but I still possess a little bit of dignity to be honest here..."

"But... why didn't you go on your own so far? You had all the chances."

The Mishima sort of cracked another laughter, as he had to remind her of something...

"In case you didn't notice... everyone is on the search for me. The bounty hunters are potentially right up my ass and today, I got caught and picked up by Interpol, so... there is no way, any ride in the world would ever take and accept my ticket... I never had "all the chances" like you said. I think it will pay off for all of us, if we work together..."

This made the middle-aged Kazama sigh... she still wasn't so sure about trusting Kazuya, but... if what he is saying, proves to be true after all and she simply hunted down the wrong man... she couldn't let this case sit on her... so she was left with no other choice, but to cooperate with the Mishima and play along by his rules, whatever he had set up...

"Alright... let me see, what can be arranged..."

"Goodness, you are quick..."

She then stood up, looking at her opposition with a serious look.

"I will talk with my chief about this and see if we can book a private flight to Japan in a jet... and for the time being, you may want to reside in here for a while. I may have made my decision, but I can't turn my back on you too much... neither can my colleagues... so be nice and listen to OUR requirements."

The middle-aged Mishima stood up himself and nodded.

"As you wish... and in any case, a cell is way better than nothing, so you pretty much just pay compensation for me..."

"Hmph."

Lei and the guards were then called back into the room, with Jun declaring, that the suspect may remain in custody, until the higher authorities have made their decision over whether he will come along with his plan or not... as expected, Lei was not really pleased by this, as he personally wanted Kazuya to actually rot in a prison cell for a lifetime, but since he couldn't lose his composure now... he agreed with his partner and both sent the Mishima out, only to then put him into a cell... where he actually made himself comfortable, more or less complimenting the police for this...

"Heh, this went easier than I thought... they will have no other choice, but to play along. Police... always so stubborn... but I guess, I can't really blame them... with guys of my caliber still being on the loose out there... resisting is like toying with them... and that is actually too much fun, thinking about it..."

In any case, he began to yawn, lay back in his prison bed and try to fall asleep... when he remembered something important...

"However... I still wonder... what brought Angel to fuse with Jun...? If there is any mystery in the world, that needed a definitive answer to it... to me, that one is very high on my checklist... I only need the right moment..."

And it wasn't long, before his eyelids shut and he began to snore out loud... the stage was set for another adventure to come...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. A Not So Relaxing Trip

**Chapter 5: A Not So Relaxing Trip**

Boredom... nothing, but pure boredom has spread inside Kazuya... for two days now, he has been waiting for the final court decision to be made, whether he and Jun Kazama will go on the expedition to Japan in order to find the main source for the recent murders that took place in Hong Kong, or not. During this time period, he had to spend most of his time inside a dirty, smelly and certainly decayed prison cell. The only bit of entertainment he was allowed to have, was to more or less train his body, by exercising through meditating or practicing his trademark style of Karate. Luckily for him, the room was wide enough to allow freedom of movement, so to him, that was at least something... but other than that, he now finally understood: Residing inside a prison cell is anything, but a pleasant idea.

At the moment, he was laying on his bed, looking at the ceiling without any particular direction or reason... no matter how he cut it, the tediousness of his current situation knew no bounds and by the second half of the first day, he had to painstakingly realize... it sucks being behind bars, even though he was not to blame...

"Could this get any worse...? The food, the toilet, the bed, the ventilation in here... out of all things that I despise to the very core of my soul, aside from my father... a prison is right behind him... no wonder prisoners have it that tough. I almost feel bad for them... or better yet, I don't, because they deserve to rot in here anyway."

Suddenly, Kazuya heard something... thudding from outside of his cell. Normally, at this point of the night, most of the guards should already be at home... however, the least of all people he'd expect to arrive here this late at noon, had just arrived... and it was no other than Lei Wulong. The Mishima then hears the door to his cell being opened with a loud squeaker, as the Super Cop slowly entered his room. Kazuya had all reasons to be totally bewildered by this sudden return...

"Huh? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be already at home?"

...and this slight feeling of unease became even more justified, once he heard the ringing of keys behind the police officer, followed by a significantly loud clack. The door has been locked shut. However, the Mishima, being a general expert in telling how the person before him feels, was already growing to understand where this is about to be going.

"So... let me get this straight? You came back here... all because of my puny existence in this very place?"

"Shut your trap... you have the right to remain silent. And in all honesty... keep your dirty mouth shut in general. Don't make me want to shut it for you."

"How adorable, threatening me now, eh?"

"I said SHUT UP!"

All of a sudden, the cop lashed out by jumping forward, smashing the back of his knuckle against Kazuya's face, with him catching it just in time to prevent the punch from connecting with his skin.

This made the Mishima show a confident sneer, only making the police officer even angrier and once he swung his leg to target Lei's hip, he retreats immediately to dodge and face Kazuya from a little distance, with the latter doing his trademark Karate stance.

"Good timing, I was getting bored anyway of this place. Maybe you might provide some extra entertainment for me, before I leave..."

"Let me tell you right off the bat... if it went my ways... I would have already sentenced you for a lifetime in an even more isolated place, far from civilization!"

"Bite me."

And with that, the drunkster charged at Kazuya, targeting his face with two quick Snake-like jabs, only to then get them blocked by the Mishima with ease, forcing him to jump back in a backflip, ending up in his Crane stance... this time, it was Kazuya to go in and attack. He started simple at first, by getting right in with two punches left and right, only that they got avoided on Lei's behalf, by swaying left and right, only to then end up getting struck in the side by two low kicks, coming from the officer, while he was still in the Crane stance, followed up by a post-spin punch from the right, only to then brutally kick the Mishima up the chin with a kick from the left...

Since Lei has indeed put a lot of force in that one little combo, he already expects him to feel stunned at how good he just was... however... Kazuya then suddenly looks down at him with a confident grin, making the cop's eyes shoot up wide open surprise.

"Tsk, is that all you've got for fire power in these thin legs of yours? I've swatted flies stronger than you."

Just when Lei could get any idea of getting away from him, he suddenly found his foot, still placed under Kazuya's chin, being grabbed by the Mishima with his left hand and the grip was real tight indeed, enough for him to be unable to move and stand in place.

"Oh, you think so?! Then how about swatting THIS!"

But of course, Lei was anything, but a pushover, so to force the middle aged Karate fighter to let him go, he jumps and uses his other leg to brutally kick the Mishima in the side, hard enough to make him lose the grip and even with the cop landing face first on the floor, even in that kind of position he was still able to defend himself almost flawlessly. And rightfully so, as Kazuya went out of his way to stomp the Chinese in the back, however... he raised one of his legs and stretched it out backwards to stop the foot from coming in contact with his backside, before using the other leg to sweep kick against the criminal's left ankle. And that was unexpected, making the middle aged Karate fighter fall backwards on the floor with Lei jumping back up, following behind him and landing a dropping hit with his elbow, right into the Mishima's solar plexus, before backflipping away from him, doing a few fancy Kung Fu moves, all coming from the 5 forms of that martial art.

However, even with that move having been a total success, Kazuya stood back up chuckling to himself, and cracking his neck...

"Wow, I almost felt that one. You certainly look like more than what meets the eye and I am not talking about the fact, that you always rely on binge drinking to fight back."

...which had the results of Lei becoming a little more personal with him. He makes it way too obvious that he can't stand Kazuya's mug.

"Save your taunts for someone who cares. It's just as I said... the likes of you deserve more than just a simple prison sentence. After everything you've done, I am still astonished at how you could remain so calm about your situation. If anything, you seem to be the pure definition of spinelessness at its finest..."

"You are flattering me, that's always nice. Also, if you don't mind, let me make one thing very clear..."

He then does his stance again, ready to charge in on Lei, doing a sneer once more...

"...I was NEVER able to stand your kind."

...before then speeding directly at the super cop with a punch targeting his face and Lei's response was him sidestepping and then countering the hit with his left wrist. And then a "gun battle" consisting of rapid countering of punches and kicks, ensued. More often than not, Lei would find himself cornered by the Mishima, only to then return with an uncalled for counter move once again.

And after one more round of struggling with his opponent, this time Kazuya considerably put more force in that one roundhouse kick, that actually barely missed Lei's head, just to then instead land on one of the somewhat rusty, metal bars of the cell, bending the material to the left. Even though he had experienced worse pain than this, it still made him stunned for a few moments, as he had to recover... giving the police officer enough time and space to hit him directly. And indeed, he manages to uppercut the still defenceless Kazuya into mid-air, quickly changing into his Snake stance and bombarding the Mishima with snake-like jabs repeatedly hitting him in the chest, while he was still in the air... only to then send him flying against the hard wall on the other end of the cell, making him crash against it, with him then landing right on his bed...

Even though, that one combo actually hurt a little, it was still no real deal for the Mishima, as he then jumped out of the bed and faced the cop once more... who has significantly lost quite the amount of steam... but he refused to simply give up now... he made a vow to Jun to protect her and simply watching Kazuya, especially after having heard her side of the story on how she felt about the time she had spent with him, with the latter than leaving her behind to raise Jin all on her own... just seeing this scar-face alone, made him want to throw up...

"This guy's tough... he certainly isn't called a Mishima for no reason... but if he thinks, he can just walk around and not remain unpunished, he is SO in the wrong."

"I have to be honest with you... you put up a good fight... however, I am still perplexed as of why you have such a beef with me. Mind if I ask, what your motivations are for confronting me like this in secret?"

Now, he felt like, it was the right time to reveal it to this man, as he thought to himself: If he was to tell him about what Jun told him regarding her relationship with Kazuya and what she suffered through this whole time during his absence, he might want to finally leave her alone... as he could tell, Kazuya still believes in a bond between him and her... the past two days, he saw him dropping strange looks on her, indicating something for him... so he might want to burst that bubble for him...

"Fine, you really want to know? Case in point, you wonder why Jun has acted either indifferent or real resentful towards you? I thought, you should know by now... but since I am such a "nice guy", let me break it down for you..."

FLASHBACK

One week after the end of the 7th Iron Fist tournament...

One day, Lei was on patrol through the city of Hong Kong... and he was taking a break. Since he was totally out of booze, he had to rush order a few more shots for his supply of bottles from the next near pub. And as he sat down, after having spoken out his request... he noticed a raven-black haired woman on the opposite seat before him, with her head pressing against the table with her arms covering her entire head, making it impossible to tell, what kind of state this secret lady was in... until, she rose her head and it's revealed to be no other than Jun. And she was nothing like Lei used to remember her on the outside... she had eye bags as if she hasn't slept properly for days and to put more insult to injury, her eyes were bloodshot, making her appear to have cried herself to sleep almost every night... all in all, she seemed very exhausted and mentally worn, ready for total collapse at any moment... Lei began to feel deeply sorry and knew what he had to do...

Lei: "During one of my lunch breaks, I found Jun inside one of my favourite pubs... you should have seen her face, she made the impression as if she has suffered through a severe trauma. I wondered, why was she here of all places? I know, she isn't really fond of alcoholic drinks and yet... there she was..."

The police officer took off his leather jacket and puts it over Jun's shaky body, giving her as much comfort as possible... and the two got to the point fairly quick.

Lei: "...and it turns out, that the reason for her current condition, was not because of something related to her physical health or her having resorted to drown herself in vodka, scotch, whiskey etc. for reasons of depression. No, it was something else and it was related to her son. Jin Kazama. Does that ring a bell?"

Lei quickly silenced her, because he refused to make her say her son's name out loud in public, as he was still a present topic of international criminality... both went to his place, where Jun spilled the beans for him. Since she was a really good friend of his, he couldn't let her remain that way... so he promises to not tell anyone about it, not even his colleagues...

Lei: "Anyhow... I had to ask her, what kind of thought went through her head to end up in a damn bar... and she unveiled, that she was scared. I am not kidding, this miserable state she was in, was all caused by her own fear of facing her own flesh and blood again, face-to-face... long story short, she told me everything up until the turning point, where she was impregnated by you... after you went away to confront Heihachi Mishima, she had to flee back to Yakushima, as she knew somehow, that she was in danger... however, it all ended well for her, but not for you, as she then began living peacefully for the next fifteen years..."

The talk however took a more serious turn, as Jun reveals how her life with Jin really turned out... and she looked like, as if she was close in breaking down in tears again...

Lei: "...at least, that's what it sounded like to me at first, before she finally spilled the real deal. While you weren't present, taking up your job as a father that every child needed... and she was still not able to comprehend the fact alone, that Jin was YOUR son, the son of Kazuya Mishima himself, the world wide most despised and sought after man in the world... it all came down to one final solution for her, because she knew that one day, her little son will start to question her and wonder where his father is and why he wasn't ever present. ...making excuses and even resorting to telling lies at times, especially regarding Heihachi, making him believe, that he was a more reliable man, while you were way too vile for her offspring's good by comparison. And she never went into detail about you, causing Jin to simply no longer care and simply see you the way you are..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"You see now? She was never able to stand you! Me even less, now knowing how irresponsible you are. You could have just taken the easier way out, by just not going out there to try and kill your father again and simply remaining on the sidelines of the battlefield to try and be a real man for a change! But no, your Mishima-like thirst for blood comes first and not the life of someone else. Could you be anymore self-absorbed...?"

This was one instance, where Lei had to stop, as he began to realize... that Kazuya has begun shaking... and even though he was a few feet away, he was still able to catch a glimpse of a little tear... falling from the Mishima's eye...

"..."

...and as soon as the tiny, salty droplet came in contact with the stone-cold floor, he shockingly lashed out and angrily jumps in the direction of the cop, grabbing him by his throat and then smashing him against the wall next to the two, growling at the cop with the latter remaining unfazed, as he knew that this was just an act of a coward, who cannot face the very reality. However, what he was about to hear from him, was what would change the entire situation a lot.

Kazuya has simply lost all control over himself, so far he was able to bear with any kind of bullshit, but that was the limit, that just broke in half with his rage skyrocketing.

"Now THAT is just delightful! And she allows herself to think of ME possibly being a lying charlatan! What kind of impudence is this?! No guts in being honest with me and only in possession of the audacity to spread dirty lies about me behind my back! Out of all people she had to open her mind to, it had to be you, of course! Because you are just as pretentious and mendacious as she is!"

The cop then grabs the Mishima's wrist, desperately trying to fight back, as he still saw himself in the right and not Kazuya... he had to say it, even though his voice lost power, due to his enemy's strong grip around his throat...

"Let... me go...! You will only make... your situation worse than it really has to be...! Why won't you swallow your accursed pride already... and accept the way the things currently stand...?! What do you hope... to achieve with her... if I already told you, that... she doesn't want anything to do with you, huh...?!"

But this only made Kazuya even more pissed, as he tightened the grip further, almost crushing Lei's neck through this grip...

"You know NOTHING about me, stop pretending as if! And you know NOTHING about what me and Jun had got going together back then...! If anyone's situation worsens, it's yours in this very moment, the more you let that reckless mouth of yours running! I don't show mercy to anyone, who is stupid enough to get in my way like this...!"

"You want to kill me...? Then go right ahead...! I will not stop you...! You will get your justifiable punishment sooner or later...! Feel the need... to make your own circumstances go for the worse... then feel free to go on... get rid of me now and it all shall be reserved for you...!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

With that, the Mishima then smashed his left knuckle right into Lei's stomach, making his eyes roll back in his head, as he spat up blood... however, that sacrificed all of Kazuya's remaining strength, as he let go of the cop who has already landed on his knees, covering his mouth to cough as the air returned to his lungs again... even though, the Mishima has set him free, the possible threat he presented was far from over, as his inner rage found no way to comfort and it was still brewing... he felt betrayed... backstabbed... as if what he believed in back then, was nothing but a farce... a mask for him to look into, only to then leave empty-handed with all his wishes and hopes crushed to pieces... even though he was not crying, his soul was aching... and to hide it, he threatens the super cop very clearly...

"I dare you to pull that kind of number on me again... and I swear by my own honour as the devil... I shall make you face the worst kind of punishment, sinners of your caliber desire the most...! Mark my words... get in my way once more... and you WILL regret ever having known or heard of me... got it...?"

Lei simply had enough. He simply stood back up, wiping his blood-covered lips dry, before opening the door, leading out of the cell... but before he left, he threw one final, serious glare at the Mishima...

"I did... and now mark MY words...! As an Interpol officer, the next time we encounter... I shall make you pay real good. You will not hear from me again... but should our paths cross in the future... I will not hold anything back against you, ESPECIALLY you...! You can keep treating others like crap and let them bend to your will as you please... but this kind of game won't work with me... I will NEVER bow to you, ever... and should you dare to lay a single finger on Jun the wrong kind of way... you better don't want to know, what I could come up with..."

"Hmph... do what you must..."

After that, Lei was already off, going back home... and just after he left the Mishima's eye sight, Kazuya then, out of nowhere, punched the wall next to him in rage, before pressing his face against the cold, stone hard wall, with his right arm guarding him... his heart was beating fast and he couldn't understand it. He sold his soul to Devil and yet... everything hurts... it hurts so bad... he had so many questions and simply couldn't find the answers to them... how could she do this to him? What did he ever do to her to deserve this kind of treatment? Even though he gave up on himself a while ago, giving his Devil gene the opportunity to save his bacon from his imminent fate... he was never able to get Jun out of his mind. Back then, he didn't think much of their bond... but now... it felt like... he had been forsaken by the entire world... he didn't care... and this all changed in this very moment...

"That... bitch...! Who does she think she is...?! Of course, I am the cause of everyone's problems...! Blaming yourself is never easy, instead take the route of a coward... and find flaws in others and not yourself...! That is what she truly is good at... aside from screwing up the "family" further...!"

Having seen the truth now, he wobbly walked over to his bed, feeling significantly feeble... before collapsing on the bed with his heart still aching like crazy... why does it hurt? He sold his soul... and yet, he feels the pain throbbing inside himself...

"Damn it...! Why...?! I don't care for her... I don't care about anyone on this freaking planet... I don't give a damn about my family... but... why can't my soul find rest...!? WHY...?!"

It truly was a concerning sight... all these years have passed by for him, with no clear result or goal insight... revenge was all that he cared for... and now, all that he believed in, despite him having been a sinner... it all felt surreal, like it was never supposed to be... only through pure force, was he finally able to close his eyes and go to the land of dreams... or should we better say, the land of nightmares...

The next day...

He didn't know why, but... something told him... he should open his eyes now... as he felt a cold presence before himself... and as expected, the person before him was no other than Jun... she had folded her arms together and looked down at the middle aged Mishima with contemptuous eyes, with two guards on each side for safety measures... the pure sight alone of the very same lady, that had betrayed him in the past... Kazuya's blood began boiling... and this kind of resentment he was feeling at the moment, was nothing like how he hated his father... not even a bit... this was a whole new level of hatred and it didn't come from his Devil gene, but from the very bottom of his heart... however, his still sane side told him, that he shouldn't do this... yet. As she made the impression, as if the decision has finally been met with approval. And indeed, he was proven correct.

"Kazuya... get your stuff, we are leaving today."

"So... it has been decided for us to go?"

"Yes, this morning, we had one more meeting with the judge and after a certain span of time, discussing over it... today, we shall leave and head for Mt. Fuji. Tickets have already been taken care of, as well as our flight there..."

The Mishima jumped off of his bed and stretched himself, sarcastically making a certain remark.

"Oh well, guess unpopular paperwork comes first, before the more interesting part. Fine with me, give me a few moments..."

And it wasn't long, before Kazuya has made himself fresh and all ready for the journey... he and Jun met outside the police station, before getting in the cab, that shall bring them to the Hong Kong airport... along the way, it became quickly obvious... there was a really tense atmossphere around the two travelers... now that the Mishima knows the truth, he could also tell, that the Kazama next to him did not even bother, trying to hide her real feelings about him... she has made it clear before, but this time... it's as if the two were able to read their minds... and even once they got inside the privately paid jet, that shall bring them to their destination, nothing changed. It remained cold and hostile between the two... until... after a few hours of pure silence during the flight... Kazuya was the first to break the awkward silence... with Jun being on the opposite seat before him, being able to listen to every word he was about to say.

"Jun... can I ask you something?"

She turned her attention now to her suspect, looking quite mirthless. And this reaction had more than one reason, because the way Kazuya just asked her... the sarcasm and bluntness was strong with his question and it only became worse.

"What is it?"

"And excuse me, if it sounds completely unsuitable for the current enigma we are in, regarding the case... but ever heard of the latin word "Proditio"?"

Of course, being not very focused on the conversation at the moment, Jun had no clue, what he was talking about... but letting the word sink in, with Angel secretly whispering into her mind, explaining what the word means... it began to dawn upon her, what the Mishima was getting at...

"...are you referring to "betrayal"? Is there any ulterior motive?"

And indeed, she got the response she needed to be validated. All she wanted to hear, was his response and it wasn't that hard to figure, that he sounded quite, for the lack of a better word... "disturbed"...

"Aha, so you do know the meaning after all, bravo, I applaud you..."

"What is your deal? You act quite... unique today..."

The following response sounded like Kazuya was very close in exploding in rage... making her grow even more suspicious than before...

"What if I was to ask you the same thing, hmm? What is YOUR deal? ...you double-crossing snake."

"OK... what is going on here? What kind of beef do you now have against me?"

"Oh, if I was to have a list of all the things that went wrong in my life... out of all these atrocities, "having met YOU" is very close in beating my top spot "father, having abused me". Tsk, and you don't even realize it... and here I thought, you were smarter than that."

"What are you talking about? You don't make any sense, have you gone totally mad now? Because if I was to put you in an insane asylum, that can be done as soon as we are back..."

This complete ignorance of hers... it made the Mishima shoot through the roof, from how angry he becomes now.

"...you still don't get it, do you? How blind could you possible be?! Can't you see, who you are lying to? Actually, I have to thank that good drunkster buddy of yours for having told me everything about you, because I have more than just one proof to declare you a filthy, backstabbing whore!"

But that announcement did not end without an effect on the middle aged Kazama... he was talking about Lei... and since he was the only one, she opened herself to with all the severe problems she was facing at the time, still to this day... she became mad too...

"...what kind of business do you now have with my life?! You know what? If it hadn't been for you, my life might have remained completely normal! But no, you had to convince me in making love with you and do it so irresponsibly, how could I have possibly let myself get into you and what your true colours are?"

"I never forced you to anything! It was YOUR idea to get involved with me, not mine! Who was so dead set on finding out, what was wrong with me the whole time and how it could be fixed! And that aside... why didn't you ever tell Jin about who I am?! And instead went out of your way to make my father appear like the biggest of angels, compared to me?! It really takes a certain amount of ignorance to act so oblivious towards everything! Wasn't I good enough for you? No wonder why Jin hates me, it's all because you fed him with misinformation about me and never went into detail, as of how we even met in the first place!"

That last part... that what made Jun completely snap out of her cold and seemingly emotionless state and actually expose her true nature.

"...what would you have done in my position? Oh, Jin, by the way, you are the son of Kazuya Mishima, one of the most sought after criminals in the entire world, but I am sure, he is a good person, considering he brought nothing but chaos across the globe... and I had the "privilege" to hold you in my belly. Did you seriously expect me to be so blunt about you?! He would have never seen me as his mother, knowing that we got together in a very unsuitable moment and who knows what would have happened, if I told him everything! He might have thought ill of me and at the time, that was the least thing we needed! And who would have believed you anyway, that you "used to be" a good person, it doesn't mean anything! Not to me, not to Jin, not to anyone! You are rotten to the core and I am glad-"

It was in that moment, where Kazuya's rage reached a feverish tone, as he then tore the straps of his seat apart, before then screaming out loud.

"SHUT UUUUP!"

However... Jun was anything, but intimidated by that sudden outburst and instead took it as a personal insult, as she undid her belts and stood up as well to angrily glare at her former "lover".

"Don't YOU tell me to shut up! I never gave a damn about you! Why won't you accept it already?! If you hadn't left me behind, I might have changed my way of thinking about you! And for heaven's sake, I never betrayed you, you betrayed ME! Simply by leaving me and Jin behind, making ourselves easy targets for Devil to leave a mark on my son! Why can't you live with the fact, that I don't have anything to say to you!"

"This wouldn't have made any difference! I HAD to go and fight my father, either way! If nobody else was able to do it, then who?! Someone had to clean up the trash, even when it meant risking to lose the ones you left behind! Either I was the one to go, or you! And how do you expect me to brush all these lies about me aside?! If anyone betrayed the other here, it's you, because you let your son rush completely against me with your lies!"

Suddenly, their heated argument got interrupted by the sound... of guns getting loaded with loud clacks... and the two brawlers then found themselves surrounded by a gang of unwanted guests, otherwise known as a pack of bounty hunters. And one of them, who appears to be the leader of the whole bunch, speaks out his satisfaction with a crooked grin...

"Hehe, we got'em! Kazuya Mishima in the flesh! Hohoho, the big cash is right in the bank, my friends!"

But since none of the two heroes were in the proper mood for this nonsense, Kazuya had to question Jun.

"Don't tell me, this is your doing!"

"I didn't do anything! It seems, these creeps must have smuggled themselves into the plane, because they knew, you'd arrive at the airport and so they followed us all the way here."

"Guess I am really popular around town, right?"

Bounty Hunter #1: "Silence! Let's make this easy, OK? The lesser you resist, the better it will be for all of us! And the faster we get our money."

Bounty Hunter #2: "I cannot wait to see the face of our boss, once he sees Kazuya Mishima himself in OUR safe hands!"

All of a sudden, one of the more clumsy members shot his rifle at Kazuya... but he quickly turns around and deflects the bullet, by kicking it away with a well-timed roundhouse kick, making the projectile land elsewhere on one of the other members of the gang... making him fall together, bleeding to death...

Bounty Hunter #1: "Oh no, my bro! He will pay for this!"

Kazuya and Jun press their backs against one another to keep a good eye on the ambushers, with the Mishima throwing in something appropriate.

"Know what? We will continue this lovely argument later! Let us better keep these pricks off of our tail first."

"Whatever, just keep moving!"

And then, heavy fighting ensued. Because the fighters were armed with guns and rifles, this made the entire situation ever more complicated, but luckily, with both Kazuya and Jun being very experienced combatants, to them it was not that much of a serious deal... and they found themselves pounding each one of these bounty hunters to the ground, until... out of the blue, one guy shoots his pistol, targeting Jun... and despite Kazuya deflecting the projectile, it bounced of the wall and actually struck Jun's right foot... making her scream in agony, before collapsing on one knee, making the Mishima turn around in shock... only to then see his partner, kneeling down, clutching her bleeding foot. The bullet may not have struck her bone entirely inside, but it still managed to shatter a few pieces, making the Kazama double forward in pain, before Kazuya then, without watching himself, as he put all his focus on Jun... also receives a shot, this time with the bullet brushing across his left shoulder... it burnt like hell and he had to clutch his now bleeding shoulder...

"Damn it!"

Bounty Hunter #7: "Haha! Nice one!"

But since both of them refused to let these bastards win, Kazuya quickly jumped back in a swift motion, only to then smash his ankle against the hunter's hip, before punching him away to make him crash into another one of his comrades, who was just about to shoot his gun at either the Mishima or the Kazama... and just then, Jun had to make the safe, as Kazuya did not watch his back, because of one guy attempting to strike him down from the shadows with his rifle, using it like a bat... despite her foot, she jumped forward and made the man lose his balance, making him trip forward and using a headlock on the guy to make him fall unconscious... both then looked around... all the bounty hunters were knocked out...

Even though, they were still mad at one another... they couldn't deny, that this made them feel nostalgic... and both felt very proud of themselves, that they prevented a bunch of shady hunters from letting their adventure end in disaster... the Mishima then kneels down towards Jun to check up on her bleeding foot... but because she was still angry with him, she resisted, but she couldn't stop him, as he had more strength than her at the moment and so, he took off her shoe, then her sock, until the bare flesh of her foot finally comes to show... and the wound didn't look harmless one bit and it was clear by Jun's loud wincing...

"I wonder if there is a medi pack somewhere on board..."

"It's fine, really...! I don't need your help...!"

And just as she tries to stand up, she then fell back on the floor, right on her rear... however... the two suddenly realized, that the plane was losing altitude rapidly... this immediately alarmed the Mishima, as he feared the worst... he went straight to the cockpit... only to then find the pilot and the co-pilot, laying dead on the floor with gun shot wounds inflicted through their heads...

"They sabotaged us! Both pilots are goners now!"

"What did you say?!"

The two then looked outside... they were getting closer and closer to the surface of the ocean... and the shock on their faces couldn't be described in words... now it depended all on seconds of reaction time...

"It seems... our problems have grown TWICE the size now...!"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Lane Down Through Hardships

**Chapter 6: Lane Down Through Hardships**

The severe stuttering of the iron bird, that was previously supposed to bring both Kazuya and Jun to their requested destination, meant nothing else, but danger, as it keeps losing altitude every passing second, making its racing way down towards the deep waters of the sea... now, it's all or nothing, Kazuya thought. So he nods to himself and as brave and daring as he was, he pulls the now dead pilot away from his seat, jumps right in, puts on the belt for protection against the possible recoil and warms up his fingers, before getting a more or less panicky warning from Jun's behalf, who has pulled herself upright next to him on the co-pilot's seat, as she was shot through one of her walkers...

"I'd hate to burst your bubble, but the more you stall, the closer we get to the hand of the grim reaper!"

"I know! I know! Now do me one favour..."

...before the Mishima then violently grabs the steering wheel of the jet, pulling it back as hard as he could, to gain altitude again or at least, steer the plane back upwards to avoid crashing right into the ocean's abyss.

"...SHUT THE HELL UP, WOMAN!"

Although, his plan was working, he was starting to groan and sweat like hell, as he struggled to steer the plane back up, despite it not seeming to be that effective after all... both noticed, they were getting closer and closer to the surface of the salty waters, so Jun added something in.

"It won't be solved with violence, you simple-minded-"

She then scoffed, as she no longer gave a damn and bluntly pulled on the lever, right next to Kazuya, that helped them lift the plane back up, missing the surface of the ocean by a hair, allowing them to fly back on higher altitude... and once the situation has calmed down again, the Mishima had no other choice, but to wipe his now somewhat sweaty forehead, exhaling with strong feelings of sweet release overcoming him.

"Phew... never thought, I'd ever say this, but I am glad, that this whole voyage didn't end in disaster yet. After all... what is the worst that can happen now?"

But then, the two heroes heard an alarming beeping from the cockpit... and Jun began to look really nervous now.

"Oh! Maybe us, completely running out of fuel to continue the flight?!"

"What?!"

Both then looked at one of the clocks. Indeed, she was right. The arrow on the fuel clock was pointing at the red bar, giving out the warning to them. Kazuya then smashed his knuckle against his seat in total frustration.

"Damn these accursed bastards! They should have known, we were going to take flight over there, so they must have decided to make a sick joke out of it and just turn our plane into a Kamikaze bomber, just for the sake of putting me to rest and us on fire...!"

"This doesn't matter anymore! We have to do something, before we really crash down this time! And something tells me, we won't be so lucky as things stand!"

"I know, I know, no need to yell at me, I am not deaf yet!"

But as they continue on their planned route... Jun spots something in the distance... she thought at first, it was just an illusion, but the closer she looked at it with a pair of binoculars... it looked like a beach...

"Can the plane still fly for a couple more minutes?"

"You have sighted a space for us to pull off an emergency landing?"

"More or less... but I can already tell, this won't be like crash landing on your bed... the one safe place, everyone would wish to go to at the moment..."

"Alright then... grab on tight and put on your belt... because it will become rough!"

Just by a total lucky guess, the Mishima pulls on the right levers to increase the speed of the plane, while it was slowly, but surely making headway towards the ocean's surface again, because of the critical lack of fuel... and right once he spots the beach too... pulls one lever back to decrease velocity and then the other to make the flying ship descend further... and by that point, Jun was closing her eyes, begging for this to end with them coming out of that unharmed... and even Kazuya was begging to himself for this work as planned...

"It has to work... it has to work..."

And once the plane comes in contact with the sand... everyone inside the plane begins to be shaken back and forth upon the uncomfortable landing and the nightmarish ride finally came to an end... once the winged vehicle crashed into two huge palms trees...

Both the Mishima and the Kazama were knocked out a little and taken back by the harsh landing, but at the very least... both were genuinely glad to still be alive. Kazuya groaned, as he felt his neck being stiff...

"Good, good... that was a close call... but my neck is now starting to hate me..."

He then looked over to Jun, who seemed to groan louder than him and then wince in agony, because of her foot... however, that was exactly what send the Mishima over the edge, since he feared the worst... she might get an infection, if he didn't treat her wound properly now... he picks her up off of her seat and quickly carries her out of the cockpit, forcefully kicking the now dented door open to leave the plane... he looked around, before letting the now somewhat weakened Jun lean against one of the palm trees...

"Wait here, I will be right back."

He then runs back inside to look for a medicine package... and indeed, he found one... before then returning to his partner, who has regained her strength and consciousness a little... looking around in a confused and even sleepy way...

"Hey... how long have we been knocked out...?"

He then sat down before her, lifting her foot up to let it rest on one of his ankles, so that he can take a closer look at it, while keeping the conversation going...

"I have no idea. I lost all feeling for time measures at the moment... but at the very least, we got through this without dying, so I think that's good, take that for what you will."

"Still, it's unbelievable... these creeps sure had a lot of nerve, disturbing the voyage THIS rudely... but I guess, that's what happens, when you are world wide known as the worst criminal of all time and the governments hand out head money that sets its target right on you..."

"You don't say... it's not as if I even give a damn... now watch, it will burn a little, but it will at least cleanse your wound..."

The Mishima took a few drops of disinfectant and began rubbing it up and down on the spots, where her foot was injured... it burned like hell, but Jun was able to pull herself together and simply take it in like a grown up...

"Grrr... but, how shall we get on from here? The plane is a total wreck now, we won't get anywhere with this steaming heap of junk metal... and also... I MIGHT be disabled when it comes to walking..."

And while they were making up a plan on how to get to Mt. Fuji, Kazuya was already wrapping bandages around Jun's foot...

"Well, we may want to explore the area a little. Who knows, we may also find a little bit of civilization around here, as something tweets me in my ear... where we are now, is the right location to start..."

Now, he was finally finished with treating Jun's walker... and to make sure, nothing could touch the wound from the outside world, he helps her putting her shoes back on again... however, he needed to test something.

"Can you walk? I just would like to know, how bad it is."

"Wait, let's see..."

With wobbly legs, the Kazama lifted herself off the sandy ground, before trying her best to have a stable posture upright... and as she tried to walk in a straight line, each step forward, at least with her injured foot, felt unbearable to her... and yet, despite her humping movements, she kept going... but Kazuya couldn't watch this any longer, so he had bluntly say it out loud.

"It's REALLY bad, isn't it...?"

"No, it's OK...! I swear...! What else can-"

Before then collapses on one knee, gritting her teeth in agony... then, she felt an arm being around wrapped around her shoulder, and who else would it belong to, but Kazuya, who looked slightly annoyed...

"Geez, if it hurts, then stop it... it's not worth the payoff, you know..."

But of course, Jun actually hating Kazuya from the bottom of her heart, she resisted, as she refused his help and tries her hardest to shake him off...

"Let me go...! I can do this just fine all by myself! I don't need your wretched assistance, especially in walking...!"

Even with someone as patient as Kazuya, even he began to grow tired of her behaviour... and it really began to tick him off.

"Oh, now you DON'T need my help? First, you were whining to your best friend about that you needed me in the past and I wasn't present and not a real man... and now that I am here again, you don't want my support anymore, even though you clearly make the impression, you desperately need it? That is not very mature coming from someone like you, is it...?"

"Shut up, damn it! I never asked for all this to begin with! Everything would have been fine without you!"

"Ouch, that hurts."

He then puts her back against the palm tree and runs inside the plane to get the stuff they needed for their journey to Mt. Fuji... two rifles plus ammunition, a medicine bag, two sleeping bags and a few bottles of water. Thankfully, all this was stored inside the wreckage of their plane... the Mishima brought it all together and then left the ship again...

"Now then, we are set and ready to go."

"..."

"Mind if you take some stuff off of me and carry it on you, as we go? I can't carry all this by myself."

Once she heard this request, she became confused, as she decides to put on some of the stuff that her partner found inside the plan, just to relieve him a little... and she had to point at her still freshly wounded foot...

"But... how shall we get moving? In case you forgot, I can't walk properly and how am I supposed to get anywhere like this?

Kazuya has got an idea... it might be unpleasant for him in the long run, but it's the only to keep moving and not let her remain behind. He needs her for the mission... so he had to chuckle a little to himself at the idea of what he was about to do with her...

"You know... how about..."

He then got himself into position, ready for Jun to climb onto his backside, by doubling forward and putting his arms in a position, awaiting to lift her up.

"...a piggyback ride?"

For once in a while, Jun's face began to redden, as she comically became mad at him... the mere idea of Kazuya giving her a ride on his backside, with her being completely helpless, when it comes to walking... it creeped her out to the core, mostly because the two are fully grown adults... and then other trouble factors came to her mind, that weren't there before.

"Have you totally lost it?! I am not getting on there!"

"Why? It's the only way to get you somewhere, where I am planning to go. If you have any better idea, then go ahead, I am listening."

"What if anyone sees us doing that?! And what if you accidently drop me?! It will end up in disaster, I just know-"

Having grown tired of discussion with her, without further words being spoken, Jun found herself being lifted off the ground, leaned against Kazuya's back with him holding her upright with his hands under her thighs... of course, since this happened against her will, Jun began to resist again, but the Mishima did not even bother with her and just made his way inside the jungle... and along the way, even the middle-aged Kazama grew to realize, that it was no use arguing at this point, as they made their way through the jungle...

The way took them a long time, two days to be exact, and no matter how long they tried to last, hoping to find some remote piece of civilized life around here... their search remained unsuccessful. They had to make longer pauses every now and then, because of Kazuya growing exhausted to carry both Jun and the stuff they needed to even survive in this predicament they were in. And both realized, that the sun has begun to set once again... both then made the decision to stop and set up a little sleeping place for the night... the Mishima brought dry wood and stones and Jun was breaking the branches in half to make them small enough to burn up way easier... soon, both were all set, as Kazuya prepared the sleeping bags and the two took a few sips of water then to stay hydrated. After that, the two travellers made themselves comfortable inside their bags with an awkward silence setting in, although... that very silence has remained dominant throughout their little adventure through the forest now, so it wasn't making much of a difference to either of them... but to Kazuya's astonishment, this time around was Jun's turn to break the silence and the way she was expressing herself seemed hesitant and apologetic in a way...

"Hey, umm... I have to apologize..."

"Hm?"

"Do not misunderstand... I really am sorry about... everything, you know... hehehe, I do sound pathetic right now... and what's funnier is that it was me, who let it escalate to begin with..."

This change of demeanor peaked the Mishima's interest and it sort of, raised his hopes again for something, but he didn't dare saying what exactly... he turned around and leaned his face against his palm to listen more closely with curious eyes...

"Tsk... took you long enough, huh...? In all bluntness, you made me weary of arguing with you any further too..."

...and then shame was being written in Kazuya's eyes.

"...I mean, look at us. We both are fully grown adults and yet our way of handling conflicts reaches the bottom of the barrel of what adults are supposed to do. It's beyond shameful."

"Yup. You are telling me..."

However, despite the two finally admitting their fault, they remain hesitant, because they knew, that this conversation would soon end in a dead end again. Knowing all too well, that they are still enemies and only temporary allies, nothing more... then, the Interpol officer decides to let his chit chat roll on.

"Before you get the wrong idea... I still can't forgive you for having left me behind though... nobody forced you to go, in case you don't remember... I get that you had a responsibility to follow, but at the same time... leaving behind as decoy for Devil was beyond despicable to me. You basically made me an easy target for him and if you had been there, things might have turned out differently... if that was even achievable... I may have been able to prevent this demon from getting its dirty claws on my still unborn child, but that was not for ever..."

That was Kazuya's moment to counterargument...

"...Really? You can't? Good, because I am not asking for your forgiveness anyhow. Whatever the case was back then, you are absolutely correct, I did have the responsibility to get into the fray once more and make my father pay for good that time around. I failed before and I would never admit defeat."

...and he got to a point, that might become crucial, as this was something he was deadly curious about.

"But there is one part of the whole story, that still mystifies me... what made you think, I "abandoned" you and Jin?"

As expected, the question shook Jun up from the inside... and even though he was not able to see, he could sense the insecurity fruiting inside her... this was the moment.

"What...?"

"I don't understand... I told you back then, that it is the curse of the Mishima family to fight and betray one another... and yes, I did not think this through as I usually did, but why...? I cannot fathom your logic..."

"Well... umm..."

To assure her feeling not too unsafe with him, as he refuses to let this end in disaster again, he remained calm and took on a softer tone of voice. Just to let her know, he is not out to cause her inner torment again.

"Just to let you know... I never went off on my own, because I felt like it or because you didn't matter to me anymore. I left... because I wanted to PROTECT you... Heihachi was one unpredictable, wretched piece of garbage and he might have done something god-knows-what to you, should he have found out about the connection between you and me... in the end, it was either him to go or me... and in the worst possible scenario, even you..."

These words... despite him trying his best to sooth her, it didn't help though... as he then felt Jun beginning to tremble... but it was for the best to finally put this entire conflict story to rest and this time for good... closure, is what both seriously needed...

"And what I also cannot wrap my head around... why did you have to resort to keep me a secret from Jin? And in some cases, even straight out tell lies about me? You are a really smart woman, Jun... this doesn't suit you at all to do something this revolting and spineless... what you did there, was pretty much directing a handbook on how NOT to be a good parent... and at one point, I even began to believe, that you really did a good job, but really... I was disappointed..."

Being reminded of all this... finally made her come back to her senses... he was in the right and up until now, she was too stupid and blind to realize it... there was no doubt about it anymore, Kazuya did indeed struck a nerve here, as Jun began to tremble harder and even try her hardest to not sob... although he struck gold, it made him feel actual, real sympathy for her... he thought to himself...

"Goodness, did I overdo it there...?"

But finally, she regained her voice again... and it was obvious, that letting all these memories return back to her consciousness was anything, but a joyride in an amusement park...

"You talk big... as if raising a child... all on your own... without any real support on the sidelines... and only a few side job paychecks... is the easiest task ever... you are dead wrong. And it's not only, because I was forced to raise Jin all by myself, that was pressuring enough... but the fact, that this fragile and innocent, little angel... will have to live without his father around to see him blossom into a real man... this was soul-crushing for me and not only that... I felt awfully lonely, as if... the higher ups have forsaken me... I may have been able to offer my beloved son a well enough life, he fortunately never asked for much... but the fact remained..."

The last words will left an everlasting mark for thought on the Mishima...

"...it was terribly lonesome without you."

He had no more doubts... he was already starting to curse himself for these fatal mistakes of his... but in the end, it proved useless... he was also partially to blame for everything going wrong with not only his life, but also his son's... there was the internal conflict between his duty as a fighter or as a loyal partner for the significant other...

"..."

"Do you get it now...? In all honesty... nowadays... I cannot really bring myself to hate you to death... because my self-loathing exceeds my hatred for you by miles... how could I have been so careless...? All I asked for, was a normal life... was that too much to beg for...?"

The following answer on the Mishima's behalf shall make the Kazama feel... like something moved within her... in a positive way...

"No... there is no need to bury yourself in total disgrace... if you do, then add me in."

"Huh...?"

And when Jun took a proper look on Kazuya, she could see, that his eyebrows have shifted to make him actually look genuinely... upset himself... not as much as she is at the moment... but it couldn't be denied, that he was also feeling responsible... even more so, once he began spilling the beans.

"I believe, this may be now a good time to tell you about how I really feel now... but something tells me, you already know... I never betrayed you, Jun. It was you, who made everything go for the worst, obviously... after Lei has told me everything... you had no idea, how much it actually hurt me to know, that the very same person, that I was able to put my faith into and rely on... actually dared to abandon me, while I didn't have the chance to get in defend myself... I began to loath you and everything else, that I previously believed in... all my vengeful acts felt hollow, like I wasted most of my lifetime, trying to set everything straight again for me... I even went to war, just to compete with Jin over Azazel and now, here I am, almost having murdered the same man, that began shaping me through inner turmoil after my mother's death..."

As he continued, his voice lost all its sinister intentions he had in advance...

"Now knowing, that even you stabbed me in the back, much like everyone else on this accursed planet... it felt exactly the same, like how you felt, after Jin's birth... I bet this is what you call karma, isn't it...?"

"You mean..."

"You did not overhear me..."

Suddenly, Kazuya stood up, stepping out of his sleeping bag to approach her... and as he did, he continued his monologue with sorrows growing bigger inside his gaze...

"I wasn't always nice to you and I should have been more considerate about your feelings... even back then, I had difficulties too in communicating in normality... I still didn't have full control over Devil yet and instead of fighting him with Angel's assistance to avoid letting him take control of my life..."

FLASHBACK

Kazuya is seen in his Devil form, on one knee, completely worn out from his fight with the returned Heihachi, who was standing before him with folded arms...

Kazuya: "...this carelessness of mine, made me pay the price. I simply made everything worse, by risking in harnessing his powers to 100%, just to desperately try and kill my father. And as expected, it proved fatal for me..."

Heihachi is then seen carrying the knocked out Kazuya, to the top of the volcano of Mt. Fuji... before then dropping him... making him fall into the brewing depths of the burning mountain...

Kazuya: "...as he dragged my unconscious body up to the top, where I shall die in a fiery blaze of magma inside the heart of a volcano."

A purple, nebulous being is seen, leaving Kazuya's body with a black light following him... obviously, it was Devil...

Kazuya: "And because I didn't master the arts of fully controlling my Devil gene yet at the time, I basically gave him permission to leave my body and go after innocent souls without even me having given the command to do so... I made the terrible error of going 100% with his abilities and underestimating what he was capable of..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"In the end, we both are at fault... you, for having let the situation get to you too easily, because of the enforced isolation... and me, for having been way too thought- and reckless about my life, causing you and Jin to suffer unnecessarily later on..."

He then kneeled down towards Jun, who has begun to look concerned this time... as she realized, that he was not so wrong... and now it was her turn to self-loath herself almost to death... as tears dwelled up in her eyes... the Mishima then felt a load of sympathy grow within him, because he knew, that it was time to retaliate... she has proven supportive towards him... and it was now his turn to prove her, that he can be supportive too...

"Listen... I am really terrible with words... you could even tell from the start, right when we met... and I can be a really huge dick towards you and anyone around me... but one thing, that has never been an act of mine... were my feelings for you..."

"Huh...?!"

"Goodness, I really hate this word... it sounds so deplorable and convoluted and yet... it sounds right in every way, in this very moment..."

Just when his face got closer... a loud slapping sound was heard and it echoed throughout the jungle, making the birds fly up in shock... and it was followed up by a burning feeling on Kazuya's left cheek... he just got slapped real hard by no other then Jun... but instead of getting mad, this reminded of something and a huge wave of nostalgia kicked in between the two, once Jun spoke these words...

"You... ruthless son of a bastard...!"

These words right there... these relit a warm and cozy feeling inside Kazuya... and it brought back memories for him... he couldn't hide a grin.

"Hey... you said this before."

"What are you talking about...?"

"20 years ago... when we were all by ourselves, on the rooftop of the Mishima Zaibatsu, sitting on the edge together with Tokyo underneath our feet... the first thoughts that came to my mind, was to touch your hand ever so gently and the moment I came closer... you slapped me, exactly the same way you did just now... all accompanied by these following words "You... ruthless son of a bastard"... and that was the signal for me..."

Jun grew silent for a few moments... before then remembering it... he was right, she did indeed do it like that... now she was beginning to feel equally nostalgic and fuzzy... but it wasn't enough to snap a smile on her lips... as then thought of something...

"Is... should we really do this, Kazuya...? It feels anything, but... right..."

"What do you mean...?"

"Will Jin ever approve of this... and Lei... and anyone else...? In case you don't remember... you are still a wanted criminal... and if it was to come to the public's attention, that a police officer from Interpol, was to have fallen for a worldwide known troublemaker like you... I am going to be rid of my job, you can be sure of it..."

However... this was perfect timing to showcase something... Kazuya always had a hidden specialty, that he just adored to practice, especially on Jun... seeing right through her charades and simply tickle the real thoughts out of her... he could tell, that she was really hesitant about this... but that offered the opportunity for him to strike... he grew a smirk and gently began caressing her bare arm, making her immediately feel alarmed and blush in shyness at the same time...

"Kazuya... what are you-"

"You don't fool my eyes, Jun... I can clearly look right through you... knowing someone too well, can prove to become a real weakness for the opposition... admit it to yourself, you don't care about any of that, at least at the moment... all that you ask for, is me... giving the warmth you sought for so many years..."

She had to raise her voice though, because it always irritated her, whenever he was in the right... and she remained in denial... especially once she felt his hand going up to her bare shoulder...

"Stop, I really mean it... for a long time, I was fearing to encounter my son again and knowing how it went down between you and him... if he was to find out, that you and I... no, no... it will not go well..."

"...not that I don't understand your honest fear, but why do you care about that now? Is it because... your fear grabs tight hold of you again?"

"It's not that, it's- gosh, what am I saying...! Yes, I am scared... there you have it, are you satisfied...?!"

He had to grin even wider... as he got closer to her face, whispering into her ear...

"Nope... I am not... because you are filled to the brim with mysteries... and I seek answers to all of them... will you let me in... please...?"

Jun was once again met with an inner conflict... however, because of her inner demons getting to her way too easily... she saw no way of relaxing any which way... this man above her, was touching her without any real consent and yet... her heart pumps like crazy from excitement... as this touch felt so familiar... and caring at the same time, as if this man poses no threat in the slightest to her... the confusion was real with her...

"Can I have some more... time, please...?"

"Not a chance..."

Then, without warning, the Mishima began gently nibbling on her throat from the side... feeling him there, the Kazama's heart rate only increased ever more and it felt sinful to the core, allowing him to do this... yet it was like a sin worth taking on... she began to blush even redder and a pleasure-filled moan escaped her lips... and at the same, she felt her black hair being playfully toyed with... as Kazuya then decides to step it up a major level... he climbed on top of her, unzipped her sleeping bag to get a whole view over her complete, feminine physique... and he had to compliment her on something...

"I do have to say... time has been very generous with you... you are still as beautiful as I have remembered you... luck must be on anyone's side every once in a while..."

"No... I am not beautiful..."

"Lying again, are we...? Good... then let us continue..."

But then, he got stopped by Jun's tight grip on his shoulders, that pushed him back... before he then looked at her face, that seemed like... she wanted something from him... and she wanted him to listen closely...

"Before you do... Kazuya... I... umm..."

As she starts to murmur again to herself, he then gently silences her with a finger over her lips, as he got closer to her face to speak in a reassuring tone... and delicately stroke her cheek to let her know, that there is nothing to fear...

"I already know, what you want to say to me, but not to worry... there is no need... it has to be me, who will have to say sorry... you should stop putting all the blame on yourself alone... it was me, after all, who brought the dominoes to fall, one after another... and if it hadn't been for me... you might have been able to live normally, like you've always wished..."

These words... really brought the Kazama over the edge this time... all the tears, that she has held back for the longest time, regarding her lost bond with Kazuya, finally began to flow down her cheeks, as her pain-filled sobs finally left her mouth... she finally saw, that she was indeed a traitor for having never been honest about him... and she felt it all to the very core of her heart... making it ache and throb terribly, as she then puts her hands on Kazuya's cheeks this time, longing for him...

"No... just no... stop... stop blaming yourself now... it really breaks my heart, can't you see...?!"

This sudden change of behaviour truly surprised the middle aged Mishima... but the following words... genuinely sent him on a rollercoaster ride of inner emotions...

"Huh...?"

"Don't start this, alright...? I have more than one reason to apologize myself... you have seen the truth... and yet you are still here... bothering with me... I am such a terrible mother... no, worse than that... I am just a rotten person from head to toe... I should have told Jin the truth... but because of my cowardice... I made you suffer in the end too... all because I was so selfish and never considered your feelings as well... I was blind! Blind! Why do you still forgive me...?! You should hate me... loath me... curse the very day I was born and yet... and yet... it doesn't happen..."

"Jun..."

She then starts thrashing around, with her voice breaking further...

"No! Just leave me here to die...! End my pain! Someone like me... does not deserve your forgiveness... damn it, just-"

Before speaking any more... she suddenly felt her lips being very lovingly enclosed by Kazuya's... who also wraps one arm around her back to hold her close... giving her the warmth she desperately needed... and after a few moments, he stopped to look at Jun's tear-soaked face... wiped her fresh tears away... this one moment... felt like total bliss for the both of them... no words could ever describe this incredible feeling... this was a sign for the Kazama... that spoke words of its own...

The two then continued their kiss with Jun welcoming it with open arms this time, begging her now returned lover to take her... their exchange of saliva, with each part of their clothing becoming undone, landing right next to them... this feels like peace has returned for her... the jungle was filled with their passion-filled cooing and grunting, but they did not care... either of them, only cared for another and nothing else in the world... they wanted this to remain with them... even after death...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Memorable Times (Part 1)

**Chapter 7: Memorable Times (Part I)**

21 Years Earlier...

It was the year 1987... a younger Kazuya, was sitting silently on his throne, leaning his head against his knuckle in a bored manner, right in the hallway of the Mishima Zaibatsu, waiting for the messenger to arrive and deliver the current status of his plans... and it wasn't long, before three people entered the room, dressed in fine wardrobe. The squad entering the halls, consisted of these... one of Kazuya's strongest rivals, loyal partner in crime and Muay Thai champion, Bruce Irvin... Kazuya's personal secretary and highly professional contract assassin, Anna Williams and lastly... Kazuya's trusted bodyguard and organizer, Ganryu. All three of them stepped forth... with confident grins on their faces, giving off a positive indicator for the young Mishima, who then posed the question, they have been waiting to hear...

"And? How are the preparations going along?"

It was Bruce to then confirm it all...

"It's all going according to your plan, buddy. All the conditions have been met for the tournament to begin. All that needs to be done now, is to spread the word of it and: Et voilá! The public has your attention!"

Then, Anna went a little more into detail.

"And to further ensure, that the tournament remains a piece of discussion, we even allowed our employees to spread rumours about it possibly happening, through news outlets throughout the globe. There is no way, anyone with even one or two brain cells remaining, could possibly miss out on that."

And finally, Ganryu gave out the announcement that Kazuya has been itching to hear for a while now.

"The last task remaining... is YOU announcing it, Kazuya. The world is all ears now, they will bend to your will, once you officially confirm the rumours to be 100% true."

This truly brought a grin to the Mishima's lips. Satisfaction and absolute success was his to keep in that very moment... and all that was left to be yet done, is his voice being heard. He stood up and smiled at his loyal squad, sincerely thanking them for their service.

"Good work, everyone. I knew, I could rely on the three of you. And it's just as you said... it is time, to show the world... that the Mishima Zaibatsu is back to order. Stronger than ever. I am indeed curious to see, who is able to last the longest in my game..."

With these words being spoken, he then walked down the red-carpeted stairs, passing by his bodyguards with an almost mischievous grin forming on his lips... and his personally entrusted guardians, following along, equally as excited for this spectacle to finally begin... leaving with Kazuya's words being these, while cracking his knuckles...

"All the conditions have been met... so let's get this show on a roll."

Later, he sat down in his office, with a camera team already being present, ready to bring this message clip out to the international public, live.

"Well, hello there, citizens of the world. It's so nice to see and hear from you all. I have some exciting news for everyone! Especially the ones, who are daring enough to come and challenge me in my own game... you aren't deaf, you guessed correct! I will be holding the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

The crowds reaction from all across the globe varied... one half was pumped and cheered in glee, awaiting this monstrous event to finally begin... while the other half, grew suspicious and alerted, specifically the people from the national and international press, who were never fond of the Mishimas and... the martial artists, who had already participated in the 1st tournament, previously hosted by Kazuya's, supposedly "deceased" father, Heihachi...

Meanwhile, all the first contestants from the older King of Iron Fist tournament, consisting of:

 **Michelle Chang** , who is sitting on the couch with her mother together, catching wind of this event...

"-I will be holding the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

"Tsk, would you look at that... looks like, the Mishimas really are in serious need of another beatdown of the century..."

"Nuh-uh-uh, what did I tell you, Michelle? No vengeful feelings between my four walls, understand?"

She sighs, before smiling to herself, and shrugging...

"Yeah, mom... I understand. Still, I would be more than glad to go on ahead and kick this douche a new pair..."

... **Paul Phoenix** , who is at a buffalo bar, drinking some good load of beer... while at the same time, grinning to himself in a confident way, feeling more than ready to even the score with the young Mishima, whom he had almost beaten in the 1st tournament...

"Heh... you may look confident now, my friend... but just you wait... The Phoenix is coming for you. Who may win this time, hm?"

... **Marshall Law** , who is cooking right now in the kitchen for his family, before then angrily crushing an onion in his hand, gritting his teeth...

"So they are at it again... good. I swear, if this asshole for a Taekwando master shows up right there, I will not take any chances... this guy is toast... and with the money, I shall also rebuild my dojo and compensate my students, who had suffered, because of this son of a bitch...!"

... **Lee Chaolan** , who is at the lobby entrance, checking out the TV on the other side of the room, while fixing the papers together... he had to smirk, as he was planning something...

"Oh, Kazuya... you really are a simpleton, you know that? Not a very bright move, for someone, who is supposed to lead a company... you do realize, that if you lose, the winner will be crowned as the next CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu..."

...and that smirk darkened... as he then drops his pen, with the paint splashing all over the floor, beneath his feet...

"...and allow me to snitch that title away from you. I have been working hard to get acknowledged by your father and yet all he did was abuse me as a puppet for his own personal amusement... so I will take back, what's rightfully mine."

... **Nina Williams** , who is sitting on her couch in a luxurious hotel room, being locked right now in a phone call with an unknown person... and as it turns out, this man on the phone has some dark intentions himself...

"Listen to me, babe... you are going to get in there and deliver this Kazuya Mishima an exclusive ticket from me... to hell. We don't need more Mishimas causing unnecessary trouble for us... can I rely on you? I know, you wouldn't ever disappoint me."

"Just leave it to me... and while I am at it, I may as well check out, what my sis is doing right now with this creeper... tsk, I'll bet, she must be chocking on his man bazooka juice... she latches onto any guy she sees, unless he doesn't have any cash with him or a status to feast upon..."

"That's my girl... you did take your pills, right?"

"I did... and I feel incredible..."

"Hehehe... well, my good, little kitty, you... go and get him for me."

... **Wang Jinrei** , who was getting his food prepared in a restaurant, coincidently having a TV in the resto, checking out this announcement with doubtful eyes...

"Oh my... this whole debacle again? Hasn't this still young world learned from this? If they go and join this obvious trap for a tournament, there will be no true return for them..."

...who then sighs and checks his head in disappointment, before a strong resolve boiled within him...

"I knew, this was going to happen anytime soon... I have to interfere... it was already concerning, how my best friend disappeared without a single trace behind to follow... and with his off spring being gone too... something must be done and fast. It may be a hunch, but I have to stop Kazuya... I fear, that everything will be turning for the worst, if he remains behind the desk..."

... **the 1st King** , who has fallen from grace, after one of the kids at his orphanage passed away, due to an non-treatable illness, ironically right after he reached 3rd place in the first tournament and... the same one, who is walking back home, with the 1st Armor King helping him to get back home safely... who then caught a glimpse of the announcement through one of the TV screens inside the electronic store, closeby...

"King, I think... I may have found the solution to your problems."

"Another tournament, huh...? And I was already wondering, why the silent period lasted for so long... guess, even the Mishimas have to find ground again to somehow stay relevant in the massive eye, that is the public..."

"Won't you join? Isn't this the perfect opportunity for you to shine again? I say, let's do this thing!"

"I don't know, buddy... I really appreciate your help, but joining another one of "those" tournaments... really?"

...he then receives a manly and strong tap on the shoulder, by his black-furred jaguar-masked friend and mentor...

"Hey, somehow, you gotta do it! What about the kids? They are in need of someone, they can proudly look up to... not saying, they are going to declare you a coward, if you decline, because... even I must admit, the King of Iron Fist tournament sure was a fest of barbarism at its finest... but come on, it will be fun, I will be joining too anyhow, so... no worries, you won't be alone in this..."

...who then spoke in a playful tone...

"...and I'll bet, Michelle might be coming along too."

"Oh you...! OK, fine! But only because, you said so!"

"Just trust me, we will manage. Against training, this is just a playground for our kind!"

... **Jun Kazama** and lastly, **Lei Wulong** , who are sitting together, in the Hong Kong police department, watching some TV together, with Jun being most alarmed on the inside. For the last few weeks, rumours actually spread, that the Mishima Zaibatsu should be involved in illegal animal trafficking of endangered specimens... and that these animals would be abused as guinea pigs for the inhumane experiments going on somewhere... and this was not all. In Brazil, the booming business with cocaine or crack was already a huge problem, with Sao Paulo being one of the worst victims in this case, however... in recent time, news had reached the international ear of the public, implying that Kazuya Mishima is supposedly involved in drug trafficking as well, importing these pretty pricy drugs through his own tankers, that also deliver war cargo to different countries. Lei had to chuckle.

"Would you look at that, Jun. Because of his position, this fellow must feel so invulnerable. As if nobody can ever find any dirt on him. I was never fond of the Mishimas, but... now that these rumours reached our eardrums, I believe, this tournament might be this one chance for us to expose this rotten bastard."

"Hmmm... we still need actual proof, that he is involved with these crimes... also, rumours are just rumours, they don't hold any true merit to them, unless you are working to dig up the facts... you don't seem to realize, that if we arrest someone without real evidence, that may cost our jobs..."

"Yeah, I know... and that's why, I suggest we get in there and dig up his dirty, little secrets. Also..."

He jumps off of the couch, and stretches himself out of comfort and grins in a confident way...

"...we might be finally getting some excitement in our career. It's not very often, that we get some true challenges to pass through."

"True... I may need to still perfect my Aikido skills... in case, this guy may end up coming too close to me... I am always on alert with these rich men."

"Heh, I better hope so too, after all... good looks could also be an indicator, that he may end up being one of those guys, if you know what I mean... insecure, arrogant and boastful... like all these kiddos, who lease everything..."

That was Jun's signal to get up and do some stretching herself, while having her eyes locked onto Lei's...

"How true... but in any case, we shouldn't take this too lightly. After all, we are dealing with a massive corporation here and a man, that may get the urge to erase people from the public's view in an instant, should he declare their mugs "hideous"."

"I am well aware of the risks, my dear. But that is how life is... you won't get far, if you are not willing enough to dare, know what I mean?"

"Sure... the tournament shall begin in a week's time. We should brace ourselves, both mentally and physically. The agency shall be giving the approval of us, gaining the allowance to tout on Mr. Mishima and even investigate on all these rumours, soon enough, before the week ends, so... we shouldn't be concerned about that topic."

"Gotcha. So all that's left, is... training, training and more training. Just to cut your explanation in length."

"Precisely. Now then... I will be going to bed now. See you tomorrow."

"Very well, Jun... see ya."

Meanwhile, in a hut, somewhere isolated from Tokyo...

A middle aged man was laying in his bed, listening to some radio, before getting himself some sleep to recover from the injuries he had suffered... however, the very second, this man heard Kazuya's voice echoing through the small speakers... his ears perked up.

?: "Hmm...?"

"Well, hello there, citizens of the world. It's so nice to see and hear from you all. I have some exciting news for everyone! Especially the ones, who are daring enough to come and challenge me in my own game... you aren't deaf, you guessed correct! I will be holding the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

The very second, these last words came booming out... he starts to growl and shiver out of rage, before grabbing the lamp on his nightstand and smashing it again the door, breaking it in half... and that wasn't nearly enough to sooth his untameable rage at that very moment...

?: "Damn you... Kazuya...! So throwing me down the cliff wasn't enough for you, now you also had to steal my spotlight as the leading force of the Mishima Zaibatsu...?! I should have killed you for good, when I still had the chance...! But from today forward..."

...and in the dim moonlight, you can see the man's face... it was Heihachi Mishima. With a dark and really angry glare, he muttered these words, that couldn't set the tone of the message any better than that.

"...I shall correct my mistake!"

A FEW DAYS LATER...

The loud and penetrating sounds of a pack of helicopters could be heard... transport choppers from the Mishima Zaibatsu, with one of them being commanded by Kazuya Mishima himself, were heading straight for Arizona, where the home of Michelle Chang is supposedly located... and sure enough, once the Mishima looked out of the window, he could see a house in the middle of nowhere... he gave the signal.

"What are the coordinates?"

Pilot: "A few miles further EAST."

"That must be it. Turn left, I think we have found it."

Pilot: "Roger, sir. Initiating landing sequence..."

And before you knew it, the choppers have already landed close to Michelle Chang's ranch... what could possibly be the reason for his arrival here, of all places? Nobody knew, what he was planning... but this didn't bother Michelle's mother, who was peacefully sitting inside, knotting... her daughter was out and about, training for the tournament, so she was all alone... and this of course, offered the absolute best conditions for the Tekken Force... then, she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Yes, yes, yes, I am coming... I wonder, who that could be... certainly not Michelle, that little girl is not someone to return so quickly..."

And the very second, she had the doorknob in her grip, she had to step back, as the door opened and Kazuya Mishima himself, accompanied by a group of Tekken Force soldiers, come inside... with some of the soldiers still being newbies and thus, end up accidently wrecking some parts of the furniture in the process... and the leader did not approve of that, one bit.

"Hey, watch it! We didn't come here to demolish a senior's home, got it? Watch your steps!"

As soon as that command was given, the soldier jumped a little, before getting back into position of keeping an eye on the old Native American... she was eyeing the Mishima with a suspicious and mustering gaze...

"So you must be... Kazuya Mishima... what business do you have with me? What brought you to visit an old and used up tribe member like myself? You do realize, that my daughter will not be pleased, should she show up here, anytime soon."

It was clear to him in advance, that this old lady and the Native American party in general, was distrusting him, but she had every right to do so, knowing what kind of rotten family tree he fell from and he does not show the slightest hint of resentment towards her for that... but since the 2nd tournament shall be opened in less than a few days and he wants this massive event to be remembered as one of the best moments in possibly, the history of mankind... he figured it all out. He returned her gaze with an awkward grin, as he shrugs and chuckles...

"Hehe, I knew far ahead, that you would greet me like this, but you know what? I am not holding any hard feelings towards you... the family I come from, is messed up anyhow."

"That is a little bit of an understatement, isn't it, young one? After all, it was your father, who actually had the nerve to arrive here and take the life of my lover, all because he didn't follow his orders..."

Hearing that, actually made Kazuya fear the worst, because she may end up saying spiteful things about him... being on the opinion, that the apple does not fall far from the tree and viewing him as just as much as a threat as Heihachi... but he felt an enormous relief, once he heard these words...

"But worry not, young one... since the spirits neither neglected, nor ever lied to me, they just allowed me to look deep into your soul, with your eyes being the door to your secrets, that lie within your core. I can sense, that you have no truly, malicious intentions... and besides, vengeful feelings aren't good for my old bones, so... that is it..."

He had to slightly smile at this forgiving and kind gesture from her... and he bowed, to show his gratitude, before becoming serious again.

"You have my thanks, Mrs. Chang... but to get to the point, as of why I am here... let me just say this... I, Kazuya Mishima, shall personally treat you to a visit, to the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament."

"What...?! A personal invitation? Are you serious?"

"I was never as sure as now, milady. See this as a compensation gift on my behalf, just to make up for all the troubles, that my father brought upon you and your entire family... especially, your daughter... I am fully conscious, that it won't be making up for the loss of your husband, but... since I can already sense the strong resolve and determination of your off spring to come join the other competitors to my tournament, I figured, why not simply give you a seat in the 1st class, all on the house?"

"That is amazingly kind of you, my boy, but... will this really be fine with you? I mean, old hags are never as welcome as young and fresh meat..."

"Nonsense, I have made my point. After all this crap, it is time, that we reconcile. It is a matter between families..."

"And... what if I decline?"

"You can do that, I cannot stop you... I just came by to see, if it is fine with you to come and watch your daughter succeed, all the while being in the comfort of a private room, with a huge television screen... safe environment for you too, since I don't want to cause permanent damage to your ears, if you were to watch with a dozen of other people, right and left... so, what do you say? Like I said, you can also say "No"."

The elderly lady was silent for a few moments, before giving her decisive answer...

"Fine. I will come along."

That brought a grin of pure satisfaction to Kazuya's lips... but that didn't stop him from mentioning something important.

"You won't regret it, ma'am. But before we go, I need to make something clear... no, we won't tell anyone, especially your daughter, that you came with us... all I will do, is leave behind some kind of vocally recorded message for her on a left behind walkman, saying, that I "apprehended you and should she not come, you will die" or something like that... but before you get the wrong idea, this is not kidnapping I am trying to do here. It's just my way, of... giving her a little bit of a push to come and enter the fray with others. Pretty morbid sense of humour, I know, but bear with me on this. I even allow you to walk around freely as you please, you won't be held captive or anything of the sort... do we have a deal?"

Even though, the spirits told her the truth about this young man before her, she couldn't hide a tiny bit of insecurity within her, now having heard his proposal to the fullest... however, she couldn't deny, he really does seem to know, how to give competitors a fine kick in the butt, just to get them moving and do their best in the ring... so she chuckled and smirks slightly...

"You truly wicked, profane and sinful, little rascal, you..."

"...hehehe, story of my life. Anyways, let us not stall any longer. You go on ahead, I still have to do the vocal mail."

"Fine. See you later."

As soon as the soldiers guided the old Native American out of her home, the young Mishima takes out, just as planned, a walkman, puts an empty tape inside of it, connects the walkman to a mic and starts speaking in a sinister, taunting but obviously fake sounding voice, before finishing it all off with a fabulous laugh, that only Heihachi could pull off... and right after that, he leaves the walkman, with the readily recorded audiotape inside of it, behind, and heads for the chopper, jumping inside, before heading back to Japan...

Many hours later...

But Michelle's mother, was not the only one, who shall be "kidnapped"... Kazuya knew, that it was Yoshimitsu's clan, the Manjis, who actually invaded the Mishima Zaibatsu's vault, two years ago, just to grab all the goods and riches, to hand them over to the people in need of it... and of course, the Mishima would not possibly miss the opportunity to give the head of the Manji clan another go at the tradition of his family, of holding a tournament, to prove his own worth and put up some good entertainment for the international audience... however, he knew, much like Michelle, he might need something extra... and that is where, the one and only, Dr. Bosconovitch comes in. He previously worked as scientist personnel for the Mishima Zaibatsu and ever since Heihachi's fall, he decided to go into hiding with Yoshimitsu, whom he managed to protect from his own fate, by replacing his one arm with a mechanical one... ever since that day, he felt like he owed the old man something and as a sign of gratitude, he let him flee with him to go and take refuge in Arashiyama, the housing of the Manji party.

Right now, Kazuya, dressed in a grey, buttoned shirt with long sleeves, in combination with pitch black sunglasses, was waiting in a café, awaiting Bosconovitch's arrival for their short meeting... but because he feared, that he may end up getting accompanied by a little group of Manji clan members, he deployed a few of his men inside the coffee shop, having told them to dress up like normal citizens, just to blend in with the other guests, prepared for the worst... impatiently, the Mishima looked at his own watch, with his foot tapping the floor in annoyance...

"Geez, what's taking him so long? I know he is old, but I doubt, that he lacks the proper footpower to go and grab a bite somewhere, all by himself..."

He then had to sigh in slight desperation, as he did NOT enjoy the thought of ninjas possibly coming along with him... he was never fond of them...

"Let us better pray, that these Manji clan members aren't thinking about seriously showing up here as his lifeguards... these accursed ninjas, they always were a thorn in my spine... all they are truly good for, is running off like a bunch of sissies and should you confront them, what do they do? Throw you off guard and then disappear without trail, but just a huge smoke cloud... instead of fighting you head-on..."

...but he had to chuckle, because at the same time, he had indeed respect left for Yoshimitsu and what ninjas are also truly capable of in a positive kind of way... and that involved his father.

"I'll give them this though... they do know how to trick rich sharks, like my father... oh, I so enjoyed that angry look of his and for that alone... for the Manjis, I am willing to make an exception... because they managed to do, what only few people left alive can... bring my "maker" and the "Iron Fist" himself, to explode in a fiery blaze of rage and dismay... and not only did I, myself profit from that fabulous prank, because... I have no interest in filling up a clean dozen of safes with that much cash, I am not falling that deep into the rabbit hole... and as a bonus, it made the poor a little more richer. Once the time comes, I may need to personally thank the headmaster himself for this honourable deed..."

Suddenly, the door opened and an old man, with a bald head and messy, grey hair on the sides of his skull and dressed like a stereotypical professor would, entered the café... luckily, all by himself... which pleased the Mishima like nothing else, as he initially feared the worst, but that wasn't the point now... the man of the hour is finally here. He stood up from his seat and shook hands with the professor, while bearing a polite smile, with the elderly man returning the gesture with glee... followed up by the two then taking their seats, with his cup of tea having already been prepared for him...

"Dr. Bosconovitch, it's an honour to meet you in person..."

"Likewise, my boy, heh... may you allow me to admit in advance, that I never expected the son of you-know-who, to be such a polite and welcoming, young man like you... there goes the saying "the apple doesn't fall from the tree"..."

"I understand and I must apologize for what you had to suffer through, because of my old man..."

"It's no big deal, my boy... I was not able to stand him, but let us forget about that for the moment... I am certain, that your call for me, must be some kind of "protocol"..."

"In a way, yes... I do have an issue and for that, I may need your assistance for that..."

"What is it?"

However, this topic was pretty touchy, since it was about the animals, that were blacklisted. Specifically, the kind, that was now only available in very limited quantities and Kazuya was in possession of over 50 kinds of the animals, that belonged to the category of "endangered species"... of course, this was illegal, since it isn't his job to keep the animals there, but... his reason for keeping them close to the Mishima Zaibatsu... had a totally different reason... so he had to whisper it into the prof.'s ear...

"It really is an important task, that I have in reserve for you... since it involves animals, that are belonging to those, that should be almost rendered "extinct"..."

"What...?! You are performing animal trafficking...?"

"Before you misunderstand, I may need to explain it to you more clearly... no, I am not part of the business, these animals NEVER were, nor will they ever be for sale with high price tags on my end... all these creatures, weren't captured for profit, they are being held "captive", for their own welfare."

Hearing that, made the old man feel sincerely confused... it was indeed shady, but at the same time, he is not the kind of man to first act and then think, so... he decides to keep his ears upright...

"What do you mean...? Are you implying, that you are keeping these animals, as in... to protect them...?"

"Precisely... I am no supporter of this crap, animals are alive, just like us, they deserve to live a life in peace and prosperity. Nobody possesses the right to cut in and break the cycle of nature... not even my family. However... this venture proved to be more troublesome, than I initially feared... a number of problems occurred..."

"...and for these problems, you are in desperate need of my help?"

"Yes, professor..."

FLASHBACK

Somewhere deep within South America...

We are seeing Kazuya, being in safari like attire, walking through a demolished forest, with his men, that were specifically trained for missions like these in the wild. Then, we see the doctors from the team making the diagnosis, that some of the animals were indeed too weak to move on to another area, that is suiting them... some were also found injured... the doctors tried their best, but in some cases, they had no choice, but to pack them inside the boxes and transport them to the ships... praying, that they will make it somehow...

Kazuya: "...along the way, we had to find out the hard way, that a good percentage of these animals, were either suffering from ailments, inflicted by the hunters, who failed to capture them, or were living in areas, totally unsuitable for their kind, with their home having gotten totally destroyed by those rich businessmen, who illegally began cutting down trees for more space to build on, totally ruining their natural habitat... resulting in them being now pretty close to heaven's gates... I had to do something and I did... I took down one of the private security sectors of the Zaibatsu and let it get turned into a really huge, botanic garden, with many areas being cut out to be made for specific types of animals of all kinds... and even the outside of the garden, there you find an extensive mile of grassy fields... but I knew, this isn't nearly enough... because it didn't help, that a few of these now rare specimens were still severely ill."

Then, we are seeing an image of Kazuya and his men getting attacked by the lifeguards from these rich investors, who had claimed that piece of land all for themselves, even though it was against the law... the next image was him and his loyal soldiers striking back, however, it was no use... they had to flee...

Kazuya: "Of course, this didn't bode well with these bastards... it's not enough for them apparently to completely wreck what mother nature gifted us with. Now they seemed to possess the audacity to go on ahead and desperately try to stop us from fixing, what they ruined with their filthy greed and lack of empathy for the purest creations out there... but, at one point, it was enough, we had to take a hike and head back to the base... with a bunch of exotic animals packed in uncomfortable boxes... you can tell, that it wasn't a simple walk through the park, on a sunny sunday..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"I still want to help these creatures, but I simply lack the manpower and knowledge for that... and because you previously worked for my father and you are specialized in the arts of manipulating, recreating or even revive the genes of a living being, I figured... you might be the final silver lining on the horizon for these poor animals... I did everything I could... now it's all up to you... can you help us?"

The old doctor was taking a good sip of his still warm tea, before putting the cup back down... and fixing his glasses back to its position, folding his arms at the same time as well...

"...what are your real motives, Kazuya?"

"Huh?"

"Before I give my response to your question, may I give you a question as well? It's not like I don't trust you... I only want to know you better... so far, you don't seem to be as rotten and merciless as your father, however... are you planning something, that I should know about...? It was truly noble of you to intrude and save the helpless from the trampling titans, but... why? What drove you into committing something, this risqué? Surely, you had your reasons..."

He sort of knew from far ahead, that at one point, he may start questioning him and his intentions as leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu and for that alone, he saw no reason to become angry or feel personally attacked, as he had every right to not put any faith in his motives at first... Kazuya sighed and leans back in his seat, with his gaze softening a lot to reveal more or less, concerned eyes... Bosconovitch could already tell, that this was no act of him, the Mishima was actually swallowing his pride to be honest with him...

"Heh, thought you'd never ask... and to put it as bluntly as I can, the answer is a loud and crystal-clear: No. I am not in possession of any plans, that my old man previously had... I have no interest in world domination, in huge amounts of money or in proving myself to be superior than anyone else. All I was trying to do, was pulling something off, what my father was never able to do... do something, from which everyone can have a benefit from, instead of doing it all for my selfish desires."

Kazuya just went on further with his confession and as he spoke, it further proved to the old, wrinkled man, that this youngster is not out for malicious gains...

"Yeah, I know. I can already see you thinking to yourself, that I am out of my mind for doing something so self-righteous, that I should not get involved too much, since it isn't part of my concern... you call it self-righteous... but to me, it's TRUE justice. Whenever my poor eyes fall upon all these "do-gooders" organizations, who try to convince us in their shrieking voices, that we should protect this and that, that we should always be respectful about something and never resort to violence... tsk, just replaying all these lines, makes me physically sick... it's all Grade A, major code red, hypocrisy bullshit. Good cause, I know, but then tell this all these blind supporters, who never question anything and in most cases, end up doing the opposite of what they are told to do... not even being scared to harm their own species for that... yeah, respect for nature, my ass!"

"Hmmm... you may have point there..."

"You should also keep something in mind: If it's so necessary to be respectful, why are still so many rich sharks on the loose, destroying the forests, without any real authorization to do so at times? Oh, that's right, because it's too much trouble to ask, screw that. I have money, count me in and keep quiet about it, so that the ignorant masses can further ballet my feet and just rely on TALK, but not ACTIONS. Think of me, whatever suits you, but I stay loyal to my own philosophy: Actions speak louder than words. It won't matter, what you truly think about myself or my family, what does matter... is that I am not the kind of guy, to use this entire situation to his advantage, just to appear like a better human being... I will never view myself as hero, a saviour of worlds, or the "chosen one". All I am, is just a Mishima, who wants to fix, what my own creator ruined. Even if it means going beyond the boundaries of the law..."

That gave the professor to think... if he stayed true to his words, that would mean only thing... Kazuya is miles above Heihachi... he is a criminal, in the eyes of the public, but in his eyes... right before him on the opposite seat, he saw a noble and selfless man, that is willing to make sacrifices for a bigger good... he began to smile, as a sign of approval...

"You know what? I had my fair share of doubts about you, my boy... but I can proudly tell, you exceeded my expectations... if there is anyone, that deserves to lead the Mishima Zaibatsu, and someone, that I myself can also follow without a hint of hesitation... it will be you. I suppose, my first thought proved to be correct... you should never immediately judge someone negatively, all because of their origins or their status... and my instincts never let me down..."

"You mean... will you help me?"

"You have earned my assistance... let's get down to business. I will see what I can do."

Hearing these heartwarming and encouraging words from the old scientist... a warm and fuzzy feeling began building up inside the young Mishima... whatever it was, it felt really good and it was soon replaced by complete satisfaction...

"Thank you, professor... and unlike my old man, expect no harsh or inhumane treatment on my behalf. Since you were so kind to join my cause by your free will, I shall make you a warm welcome. Deal?"

"Deal."

Both shook hands and the matter was finally settled... and before they left, he asked the professor for a phone number of his close friend, Yoshimitsu, and he needed him to pretend, that he is being kidnapped again, just as a little gag, the doctor was in good hands... of course, the Manji clan leader doesn't know that and is forced to follow behind...

A FEW DAYS LATER...

The day has finally arrived... the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament, was today. In the main hall of the Mishima Zaibatsu, were a huge amount of fighters, both veterans and newbies, awaiting the arrival of the host of the tournament himself... And as expected, Michelle and Yoshimitsu were among the crowd, exactly as planned... and soon enough, the CEO of the Zaibatsu himself, accompanied by his loyal bodyguards, Kazuya Mishima, walked up to the balcony and spread his arms with cheers of excitement and fired up whistling accompanying this amazing view...

"A most sincere welcome to all of you! Welcome to the 2nd King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

The cheers only became louder, even though some arrived with vengeful intentions, who also remained quiet, during all this... but even with these people, the ceremony was already an encouraging blast... and it became better.

"I hope you all arrived with lots of fighting spirit and fiery passion within your soul, because this year's tournament, is sure to blow all of you away! But before we get to the long-awaited battles, allow me to explain the rules! Now listen closely!"

He then takes out a white, silver glowing wrist band out of his pocket and shows it to everyone from below to make them understand, what needs to be done.

"Every single one of you competitors should first go and scoop up one of these babies here. These wristbands will all withhold the very thing, you are going to need, in order to progress from match to match... Mishima-Emblems. All of you will begin with 1 emblem. With every match, you emerge victorious from, the loser of the match shall hand over the emblem to the winner. If you are out of emblems, or you are getting caught snitching them away from the participant without a fight, you will be, without an exception, disqualified and get thrown out of the tournament. And for those, who are worried, do not be afraid. All your bedrooms are protected by security cameras, so should it occur, that someone shall break into your rooms and get the desire to steal your emblems, you will remain in the tournament and we will compensate you, by giving you new emblems, with the same amount as before you lost them to someone the dishonourable way. We have a bunch in reverse."

The rules got further explained in detail...

"And before I forget, all of your matches take place around the large and massive grounds of the Mishima Zaibatsu. It may be a forest, but be warned... you may get some odd surprises, but I wouldn't want to spoil it, go and find out for yourself. Each one of your matches will be monitored in our database, through your wristbands. Whenever your match starts, your band will send out a signal, that shall warn us, whether you are present in the match, or not. Every day, has one battle scheduled for each of you, and as soon as it's over, your wristband will deactivate the function of letting in more emblems, that way, unofficial matches, do not count as victory in our book, but watch out... should anyone not dare to show up in the next 15 minutes, even though, your battle with said rival was scheduled for that specific day, that will count as "Forfeit, which means, you will be disqualified. And oh, for those thieves among you, don't even bother with theft, because these babies are not easily removable, as long as you are signed in... only I give orders, when someone's band should come off, so... be careful, I am watching you."

...now, came the most important part.

"If someone manages to win exactly 15 Mishima-Emblems, they will be gaining access to the Central Tower, of the Mishima Zaibatsu. There, are awaiting the quarter finals for you! And by the end, you shall be facing the one and only... me! And should you win, you will be crowned "The King of the Iron Fist", be rewarded with over 50.000.000 dollars, but also as an addition, you will be granted one, very specific, wish! It can be anything, I will humbly make sure, that your deepest desire, shall become a reality, or if you want to, you could be the next CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, anything your heart yearns for! How is that for a deal?!"

The cheers only became louder and clapping came along as well... and then, Kazuya further motivated the participants, speaking in a passionate and very demanding tone.

"Very well...! I am expecting the best out of all of you! Be fearless, show no mercy, fight until the very last breath and remain full of honour and respect for your opponent! If the sky is filled with the lights of fireworks... the tournament shall finally... BEGIN! ARE YOU READY?!"

And everyone chants loudly "Yes".

"Louder, I can't hear you! ARE YOU READY?!"

"Good! That's what I love to hear! Now, go and grab your wristbands!"

And as foretold... loud fireworks filled the night sky, with beautifully colourful and bright lights...

"Because now... GET READY... FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!"

As the competitors filled the hall further with their passionate cheers and claps... all of them then made their way outside to go and grab the gadget they are going to need to gain access inside the tournament, among them was Jun, who was looking at this thing with a strong intent in her eyes... when her eyes met Kazuya's, she felt like... this man was not like everyone else... and she meant that literally, as she sensed something dark and... otherworldly within his eyes... but at the same time, she found him oddly... fascinating... and she began speaking to herself in a serious tone...

"I can't really put my finger on what exactly makes this man so... "unique", but... something tells me, that I need to win this tournament, no matter what... at the same time though..."

She then looks around... with her worried gaze falling upon an angry looking Michelle... both she and Michelle have been really good friends for the past few years, even before the 1st tournament, where the Native American entered to avenge her fallen father... the two had found a similar interest: Protecting the wildlife and preserving the balance of nature, hand in hand... Michelle would often visit the female Kazama, in Japan and offer her assistance during her job as Wildlife Organization Officer... and more often than not, the Native American's hot headed and passionate demeanor, proved to quite useful against all these scumbag hunters, who dared to intrude without any warning or permission from the higher ups... their friendship was deep, however... this time, she could sense, that Michelle was not being herself... and she wanted to find out why... but for the moment, she had different plans...

"Poor Michelle... I can already tell, that something must have happened back in America, that made her go above 180 degrees of internal heat... it's best, if I ask her tomorrow... for now, I should leave her alone..."

And with these words, she turned around to go and head for the hotels... her place has already been prepared for her, as Kazuya sure as heck did not fear any expenses, since these hotels were that of high class caliber and every room was booked for the competitors of the tournament... her goal was set... she wanted to find out more about this mysterious man, that also happens to be host of a deadly game...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Memorable Times (Part 2)

**Chapter 8: Memorable Times (Part II)**

"Raaaaaagh!"

"Tsk."

Aggressive, almost animalistic battle cries could be heard from deep within the woods, the private grounds of the Mishima Zaibatsu... followed by loud noises, that nearly sounded like rocks banging together... and as it turns out, the noise was all emanating from two competitors... Michelle Chang, and her best friend, Jun Kazama. And we then see the two clash together again, with their wrists colliding into one, before jumping back, looking at one another, already planning their next move...

A few days have already passed by, since the tournament's beginning and out of most competitors, the ones, that had the most Mishima-Emblems, were Michelle, Lei (before he lost his emblems to Jun in the previous round) and of course, Jun. Even though, it was said that the matches took place, separately on one day and then other, there was no clear rule, that stated, how many emblems in particular the loser of the match, had to hand over to the victor. As it turns out, you were actually allowed to put more risk into the outcome, stating right before the match, how much the winner shall get as prize for his hard efforts. There was no limit to the amounts of Mishima-Emblems, that you can actually set and the rules clearly stated: Lose all your emblems, you will be thrown out of the tournament. So in most cases, it ended up being more of a gamble than ever, especially for the ones with less luck in combat. But nobody could deny, that it's what made this tournament in particular the most exciting and adrenaline-causing than the previous one... you can play it safe, by setting less and hope to win the next and slowly fight your way to the top, or you can go into a 50/50 situation, by setting it all on one card. Either you win and you progress the quickest, or you lose, and you will lose everything. A major step up in the entertainment factor.

And right now, this match was like no other... since Jun was still missing over 5 emblems (along the way, she actually did lose two or three times, causing her to lose almost all of her tickets to the Central Tower) and Michelle had more than her, this was her chance. If she comes out of this as a winner, she will be finally gaining access to the final stage. Her friend agreed and to show her gratitude for having supported her emotionally, she gives her the opportunity to return with a bang, by setting ALL of her remaining "key cards"... it's all simple. If she wins, she will be facing Kazuya soon, but should she lose, it will be Jun, who shall be seeing the Mishima himself, in the last rounds. And as of right now, no clear winner was nowhere near in sight...

Both were breathing heavily, sweat was already making their young flesh glisten in the setting sunlight... but they haven't reached the end of their wits... yet. The thought of this match, probably deciding over the fate of the entire world, was exactly what was driving the young Kazama forward... and over there, on the opposite side, the thought of saving her own flesh and blood from the terrible grasp of the Mishimas and this time forever, filled the young Native American with such energy and fiery passion, she could not put it properly into words... two heroines, two best friends, with yet totally different paths and goals... fighting it all out, right here, right now...

"Heh... since when have you become so good, Michelle...? Whatever your secret is, please grant me to have some of that "secret cake recipe" of yours..."

"In your dreams, Junny... not meaning to be rude, but I prefer to keep my recipe a secret, like... where would the originality go then...? I need to make a patent, before someone could steal it from me, know what I am saying...?"

Both had to chuckle at that pun of hers... so awful, yet so fitting for this situation in a subtle way... and while they had their match, Lei and Wang were the observers of it all... they may have been thrown out, but at the same time, they wouldn't want to miss the chance, of witnessing their closest friends, battling it all out in this one fight... especially Lei was hyped...

"Look at them go, master... for the last half hour, they have been giving it their all and they still haven't had enough... may I be so bold to say, for women, they sure have bigger "balls" than me?"

"Hohoho, that is bold indeed, young one. However, I must agree with you on this. I remember back when our Michelle entered the 1st tournament... you should have seen her, she may have been strong and possessed a fiery will, even up until now... but if I was to describe her level of skill, she was still in the middle of her upbringing. Spineless and always acting, before using her brains, exactly what you would expect from a youngster of her blood... but look at her now..."

As Jun and her best friend were still fighting, Lei paid now a lot more attention to Michelle and he came to realize, that his master wasn't so wrong about his claims...

"From the way you describe it... I don't sense any remote insecurity, coming from her..."

"See? I told her before, that fighting for revenge alone, will only leave her heart and soul behind... but despite the odds, she is so precise and on point with every move that she makes, that our dear Jun, should seriously watch her step... the person, she is fighting against, is no longer the bitter, reckless and thoughtless Michelle, that she used to know... pain is making us wiser, and wisdom brings us fortune..."

"Truer have never been spoken..."

Now, it came down to this... Michelle counters Jun's upward kick, by making use of one of Wang's signature moves, the Neutralizer... as soon as the Kazama's kick was supposed to reach her skull, she dashes slightly back and raises her open palm, seizing the moment... as she then pushes her best friend back, enough time for her to start a devastating combo...

"I doubt, you will be able to walk after this one!"

She then darts forward and nails Jun, as she stops abruptly right before her, by first punching her in the stomach and then brutally uppercutting her, high into the air... with another special technique of hers following, the Lashing Arrow, which allowed her to nail the Kazama in mid-air and punch almost right past her, but this was far from over. Next, Michelle continued onward with her combo, by first kicking Jun, while she was still slightly above the ground, then punching her from the right and then sending her into a relentless tailspin with her roundhouse kick from left. As the youngster bounces off the stony ground, the Native American sped forward, nailing her again in mid-air, by doing a very swift Party Crasher... before then sending her flying, pretty far, by then doing a really powerful Lightning Bolt combo, consisting of two really fast and also strong, low punches forward... all that forced her friend to roll across the grass, before crashing right into a huge tree, falling down onto her knees...

"Heh... well, who is laughing now...? I told you, the Mrs. Reckless herself, has left us long ago..."

But even though, it looked like her chances for victory have become bleaker with that devastating combo, Jun didn't feel like it was all for naught... even a novice could detect Michelle's rapidly fading stamina in this very moment and despite this... she was fighting her best friend... none of the two ever received the chance before to face one another like this, but now that the moment has finally become a reality, neither of the two, especially Jun, was able to hide her excitement...

"Heh heh heh, you really got me, Michelle... you never fail to impress me... I mean, I always admired you for your fiery temper, but never would I dream all this to no longer remain a dream and from what I am seeing... you really did become a lot stronger than ever."

This made the female American chuckle and blush at the same time, as she rubs her index finger under her nose, feeling pretty astonished at this very sincere confession, coming from her best of friends...

"Oh, shush! Stawp it! Don't expect sugar-coated compliments to massage my inner feelings... that doesn't work with me!"

"Big talk. And here you stand, turning tomato red and you want me to believe you? Yeah right."

Both had to laugh in unison... despite this match being the most essential to either of them, they still fought with all their heart, like true friends. They don't forget about their strong bond for one millisecond... it was truly, what you would call "sisterly bromance"... this made the old master nod in approval.

"This is what true companionship is... you fight with your biggest rival, but you never neglect the fact, that this rival is also your closest friend... but sadly, this has to come to an end soon... and I don't know, who to really root for, hahaha!"

Then, Jun stood up, looking like she is finally ready to put this fight finally to rest...

"I am really sorry, that it had to come to this, Michelle... I know, you want to save your mother, but I am far from without a goal myself. Kazuya Mishima must be stopped, no matter the cost and losing is out of the question for me... I hope you understand..."

That was the signal for the female nature lover to return her piercing gaze, but she was anything, but angry... no, she was throwing a smirk...

"No need to waste any concern of it now... obviously, the match hasn't been decided yet! Why won't we get this over with already and see, who shall be the one left standing?"

"...you're right, let's end this now!"

"Your call!"

And this time, it was Jun's turn to strike... she darts straight ahead, stopping right before her best friend, confusing the hell out of her, at how she didn't make any proper assault yet... she knew her friend all too well...

"This must be the sign, that she is just waiting for me to hit her... in that moment, she will take advantage of it and seize control of me with a parry... nice try, darling, but I won't fall for it..."

With this knowledge, she decided to play defensively... however, now it confuses her, as the Kazama was now attacking directly with every hit getting easily blocked by her and then came something, she could not possibly foresee... just when she thought, she was safe to hit back, Michelle suddenly found herself getting grabbed by the collar of her tank top...

"That was exactly what I was waiting for, for you to do...!"

"What?!"

That parry was called the Destabilizer... these really short moments, left the American too wide open, and just when she thought, she knew what was coming, she then got something, completely unexpected, instead of receiving yet another combo from her good friend, she grabbed her arm, starts twisting forward, as if she was performing a ballet dance... only to then let go of her and fall flat on her face, over onto the other side...

As if that wasn't enough, just when Michelle thought, she had it all under control, right after her quick recovery from that distracting throw, that punch of her turns out to be her last one... as Jun then grabs a hold of her entire ram, rams her elbow into hers and then totally stuns her with a swift chopping strike against her throat, causing her to helplessly tumble backwards from the pain...

"This is my chance...!"

Right before, the latter could get the idea of attempting some sort of escape from this tight situation, she already got launched high into the air with a clean Demon Slayer from

her best friend... there was nothing she could do anymore... and she got proven right, as Jun then kicked straight forward with an Iwato, just keeping her further over the ground, before then doing a backwards chop from the right, then perfoming an elbow hit and lastly, do a really fast roundhouse kick from the left, that catapulted her partner away into a tailspin... leaving her open for a continuation. To keep her in the air, the young Kazama jumps forwards and does a White Heron Dance...

Just as she was performing her final attack... it actually broke Jun's heart for her good friend... she came so far to win and now, her end has arrived, but what makes it worse, is the fact, that her end has arrived by HER hand... she won't be standing this next one... two large tears fell from the young Kazama's eyes...

"Michelle... please, forgive me... but I have to do this... you have fought bravely, you have delivered to me the best match, I ever had in years of our growing friendship... however, I mustn't stop here...!"

...and the final blow, was a nailing elbow strike, right in Michelle's stomach, launching her then far away from herself, by letting that same elbow hit again, only with much more force put into it and that very truly, was a blow, that nobody could ever stand up, after already having received a fine beating, previously...

Just as Jun foretold, she wasn't standing up again, not a single muscle twitched any longer, even after a few seconds of waiting time... which only meant one thing... the referee stepped forth and raised Jun's arm, as a sign of her victory...

"Michelle Chang has been knocked out and can't fight any further...! Jun Kazama wins!"

Wang and Lei had no idea, how to truly feel about this... they were happy, that Jun won, yet... what about Michelle? She had lost not only the match, but the rest of her Mishima-Emblems, which means, she is disqualified and can't gain access into the Central Tower to get to the big boss himself...

A few moments later, with the help of Jun, the Native American got herself back on her feet and walked out of the small battlegrounds with her...

Later...

Both Jun and Michelle were receiving a mild medical treatment from their harsh battle inside the hospital, pretty close to the Mishima Zaibatsu, Tournament Grounds... it was the Kazama to break the silence first, as she looked at her best friend with really worried, shiny eyes...

"Hey, Michelle, um... are you mad at me...?"

...to her surprise though, the Native American was returning her gaze with a more or less cheerful aura, as if there were no hard feelings at all.

"No, why?"

"But... haven't you said, that you won't be able to forgive yourself, should you fail to win this tournament...? It's your family we are talking about here, after all... and seeing you like this, you... really scare me, you know that...?"

"...no, seriously, I am fine."

The comforting and reassuring way of her speaking these words, just raised further questions for the japanese youngster... before seeing a smile slightly forming on Michelle's lips, as she gently snakes an arm around her left, bare shoulder...

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you must be thinking already "man, is this girl for real?", but I AM for real and I am not just saying that to make you feel better... sure, I may have not won, but then... I totally forgot about something... remember when Kazuya said, that the one, who shall win said tournament, will be granted any wish, that the victor shall desire?"

She quickly began to understand, what was going on... and it didn't sound that bad already...

"Wait... does that mean... you are putting all your bets on me to beat Kazuya and then ask him to free your mother?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner... once you kick this guy's sorry ass, he won't have any other choice, but to oblige, bend to your will and try his hardest to grant your wish..."

However, there was a major downside to her plan and it could ruin everything... she may have managed to get far, but along the way, she did indeed lose two of many matches and thus, she was far from perfect... anything could happen in the last rounds and the thought of failing her best friend, was filling her heart with deep anxiety...

"But then... what if I don't win...? What makes you so sure, that it's going to work out somehow... I am not into gambles with severe downsides. It could easily backfire on us... and the risk factor here, is too high for my taste..."

That didn't stop her best friend from remaining strongly loyal and supportive to her... Jun always had some self-esteem issues and in these instances, her strong will must be put into good use once again...

"You will win this, I know it! Come on, do it in my place!"

"Michelle, I... I'm really sorry, but... I am going to fail this, I am sure of it..."

"No, you won't...! Listen to me, I can understand, that you are nervous, hell... the entire way here, I was already playing this situation, repeatedly before my inner eye. And that was the moment of my possible failure... I realized, there was no point in doing that, as it only served to make you lose hope, which shouldn't happen... if you believe, that you are going to lose, then it's going to happen, right on the spot... but if you do the opposite, the likeliness of that worst case scenario occurring, will decline... all that you require, is faith in yourself and your abilities..."

"Hmm..."

"Come on, Jun... you have seen worse, right? You have arrested quite a lot of hunters and they all wanted you and me dead and yet you always managed to turn the tables in our favour. If you can do that, then you can do ANYTHING..."

She had to think of their first meeting and how they helped one another, getting a good amount of hunters imprisoned, who dared to disturb mother nature itself with their unneeded cruelty... Michelle definitely had a point. And remembering this... a resolve begin building up within her...

"...you're right. I fought myself to the top, there is no way, I am going to run away from this."

"Just believe in yourself... and me, Wang and Lei will try our hardest to support you from the sidelines."

"Thanks, Michelle... I definitely owe you one for this..."

Both then did, as spunky as the two are, a bro-fist together...

"Hey, for what are real partners in crime there, eh? Now... go and get some rest. You will be needing it for tomorrow."

"Yeah... the treatment is complete. I will be going now. See you around."

And with that, Jun was gone, off back to her hotel room... as soon as she got there, she immediately throws off her sweaty clothes and her trademark, white headband, just to jump right under the shower and treat herself to a nice, warm and relaxing wash off... while she is fully immersed in the sensation, she had to think to herself... and about who Kazuya is... what kind of man was he really? Was he yet another of those rich, yet incredibly insecure jokes for men? Big mouth, but no guts and lots of cash? Even though, it wasn't like her to judge someone so early on before getting to know them on a more personal wavelength, she was already kind of expecting the worst of the worst and this was nothing really new to her... her job ended up serving a lot of these kinds of people to her, right on a silver tablet... she had every reason to mistrust him... however, she was a merciful and kind soul by nature and is known to give certain people, the benefit of the doubt, as she remembered something important...

"Rumours are just rumours... but... as long as I don't see him yet, he remains a suspect under MY lenses..."

And after a good 30 minutes of cleansing her delicate form of all the filth from the fray, she left the shower and wraps a towel around her head to let her hair dry, underneath... there was something, that should be known about Jun herself... because she is a really loyal protector of mother earth, she also belongs to the opposition, that was strongly against the cosmetic, or the fashion industry, at least, those who have too much dirt on themselves, when it came to production of their products... that would also explain her habit of never putting any makeup on, buying expensive clothes for her wardrobe or in general, being too feminine altogether... as she has no time or patience for that... you could say, Michelle's really tomboyish influence, has grown a liking on her behalf towards that free-of-society's-restrictions-lifestyle...

A few more minutes later, the female Kazama is seen laying on her bed, wearing a white bathing robe around her still wet body... she blankly looked at the ceiling, with her gaze then falling upon her silver wristband on her nightstand, with the shiny Mishima-Emblems, filling up every single one of the slots... she finally had the key to get in and continuously fight her way, further to the Number 1 spot... she remembered the promise she had given to Michelle to also command the Mishima to set her mother free, wherever he held her captive...

However, it was then, when she felt something... whatever it was, it definitely couldn't emanate from something, that could be still considered human... no... this dark energy... it cannot come from this world, so she thought... she didn't know why, but something inside her told her to go and take a look, outside on her balcony...

As soon as she stepped outside... she could not see anything at first... but the creeping, illuminating light of the moon, gave way into presenting... a sight for her to be carved into her memory... she saw something... it looked like a huge bird... only, that its appearance came close to nothing she remotely knew... it was barely noticeable, given the great distance between her and this unknown creature, but she thought she saw, the dominant colour of dark shaded purple...

"What is that thing...?! I have never seen anything like it...!"

But before she knew it, this otherworldly being had already vanished and for a pretty brief moment, she thought... she saw huge wings, being spread... right on top of the Mishima Zaibatsu's main building, that also served as the HQ and living place for Kazuya... there was no doubt anymore, this entire scheme here smells awfully fishy... she remembered something, that Wang previously mentioned to her...

FLASHBACK

"I am afraid, child... what we are dealing with here, could not possibly be seen as normality... the Mishima bloodline is cursed... Heihachi Mishima had caused his own flesh and blood so much pain in his youth, that it most likely awakened something within him, that... I don't know if "hellish" could be right word to describe it, but whatever it is... should you meet Kazuya in person, please beware... he is shrouded in mystery... and digging too deep, might prove severe..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"It awakened something "hellish"... "hellish"... I may need to spend a few more eyes on this... sorry Michelle, but for the time being, our promise is postponed... I fear, our problems have just become a hell of a lot more complicated..."

She quickly got dressed, and made her way out of the hotel, to head straight for Kazuya's residence... the tournament has lost its meaning to her... if Wang's words proved prophetic, this is no longer a game, meant for entertainment... these battlegrounds are just a piece of the bigger picture, lying behind the whole purpose of this entire event... what if it's a trap and this Mishima may unleash something upon everyone, that looked just like this creature, that she just saw? Is he plotting mass murder? But then, why? What are his motives? Questions, questions, and no answers... there was no turning back now, she had to meet Kazuya NOW.

She may have arrived here, completely unarmed, but she still had a few tools with her to get past the security system... and with this, off she went...

Later...

She now stood, right in front of the Zaibatsu HQ... of course, the gate inside was closed... there was no way, that anyone would be willing to leave that one open... and also, as an added bonus, searchlamps, moving back and forth, with the security guards controlling them... Jun had to shrug, as she found this to be even sketchier than necessary...

"If you are one the mightiest men in the world, naturally, you would tighten your security around your private property... not that I expected this tour to be a walk in the park, but still... too much, maybe?"

She then starts climbing up the gate, using the small rails to heave herself upwards... because of her natural body flexibility, she was quick to jump on top of the gate and then, carefully land on the other side, swiftly jumping right behind one of the statues, to let the headlights go right above her hood... and while she is crouching, she carefully moves forward, before then jumping into one of the bushes, right next to her path... as one of the lights was crossing her path...

She then peeked her head out of the grassy sculpture to look around and see, whether there are any soldiers, patrolling around the private grounds, waiting to shoot down anything, that could be a potential threat to their headmaster... but there weren't any... so she rolled forward and slowly, still in a slightly crouched position, made her way up the stairs towards the wooden door... as expected the door was locked...

"Well, I have to say... being a girl tends to bring certain advantages, when you are out and about, catching up to potential danger..."

A classic. She takes out one of her hair clippers and inserts it into the key hole, and after doing a few twists and turns... it made click. The door was finally open... and without further ado, she went inside and she noticed... the foyer looked a lot like a typical one, that you would find in every building, where business meetings were to be held, meaning... one large table, two couches, a desk and counter for the secretary and a TV screen, right above her head and at the end of the corridor, right around the corner... two big elevators. She grew suspicious... something was so off about all this...

"That was a little too easy for comfort... I kind of expected alarm to be set off, the moment I went through the doorstep... and yet, it's dead silent..."

She then continued onward to make her way to the elevator... she saw, that one of the buttons clearly read "Office CEO"... she could not resist, but pressing it and off she went... however, what her eye sight totally missed out on, as she made her way to the transporter, was a security camera, placed right above the secretary area... the limited visibility, due to it blending in with the background, in combination with the dark of the night, made the camera basically invisible to anyone's eye... and what she also didn't realize... Kazuya is monitoring her every move, from the comfort of his office... he chuckled to himself, as he began to smirk... as if, he has been awaiting her this whole time...

"Heh heh heh, come to me, my prey..."

And only few minutes later, Jun actually arrived at the highest floor of Kazuya's "fortress", that was the Mishima HQ... however, this is where she realized, where she exactly was... this room, she was facing... it looked like the stereotypical hall of a ruler, a dictator, a leader, whatever you prefer, with red carpeting, leading to an empty throne...

"I don't like this... it's never a good sign, when it's this silent and lonely... it could be the perfect opportunity for an ambush..."

She grew nervous... as she feared, that this winged monster, that she saw outside in the night sky... could be close by, in fact, it did indeed look like something, that would guard anything of good value... and the slightly darkening miasma, did not do anything to sooth her insecurity... it was near, she could feel it.

"Whatever this dark sensation is, it definitely emanates the most from here... which could mean only one thing... this abnormality... cannot be far anymore."

But she had no other choice... fearless as she is, she then spoke out loud, these words, hoping it would lure her target out of its hiding spot.

"Kazuya Mishima! I know, that you are here! Come out and face me, unless you really do lack the courage to bear the responsibility for your crimes!"

...silence. For the next few moments, nothing happened, until... a laughter was echoing through the hall and this one, sounded pretty familiar to her.

?: "I hear, that you managed to get all 15 emblems... Jun Kazama. I congratulate you. You have my earned my respect."

"Where are you?! Show yourself!"

?: "OK, OK, no need to get all snappy on me."

And casually coming out of the dark, taking a seat in his comfy throne, was no other, than Kazuya himself... he could not hide a grin, just by looking at her...

"Hello there."

"Your tournament may be keeping the others busy. But don't start believing, I am just as naive as they are... my eyes never fooled me when it came to the true colours of someone and they won't be doing it now, either..."

"Aha... and your point is...?"

"For now, I have to take you into custody for being suspected of illegal animal and drug trafficking and the kidnapping of family members from a few of the competitors, who participate in your tournament..."

Hearing that pretty pathetic sounding threat... instead of doing its purpose of backing the Mishima into a corner, it only served to actually give him a good laugh out of it... he facepalmed, which made the young Kazama feel personally insulted, as if he cannot take her seriously... but in the end, she managed to remain cool.

"...Did I miss something, that was supposed to be a joke? I fail to see any reason for you to laugh."

"Oh, you misunderstand, may you pardon me. I laugh... at your poor man's attempt of a "threat" to intimidate me. No offence, but if you want me to acknowledge you and your intention of arresting me for my "crimes", you'd have to work on your choice of words... and your shivering knees."

He saw right through her... it was true, she was slightly afraid to be around here, but she wouldn't admit defeat anytime soon. For as long as this guy is still free, she can't find rest... to further hide her fear, she compensated it, by now slowly losing her composure at how he is obviously making fun of her... it was never wise for someone in his current position to be laughing...

"I didn't come all the way here to listen to your bullshit! Resisting the law is a no-go in my book, no matter how untouchable you feel. Now would you kindly come along or not?! Do I have to take out the handcuffs first? And these are my least favourite items to fall back to..."

No matter how hard she tried, the Mishima just won't cooperate and all he hears is a good tease... once she mentioned the handcuffs... he declared her to be slightly naughty...

"Oh my, handcuffs... cannot really wait to have them on me... what are you? A police officer or some kind of dominatrix? If it's the second option... may I have your number, please? It's lonely in the wild, y'know..."

There was no doubt about it anymore, this guy was the worst... she had faced quite a few sexist men in her career as both a police officer and part of the wildlife organization, but never had she met someone, this obnoxious...

"...you are just viewing this as a game, right? Then let me tell you this... your laughter will soon die out, once I put you behind bars. I may not have any proof yet, but it will be over before you know it and then I want to see your mouth still running in that tone. I never go back on my word."

The more she spoke, the more he began to take a liking towards her... she was possessing quite the intrigue, he has been looking for in a woman for so long... he had to grin in a non-intimidating way... as an idea popped up in his head...

"...very well, then. You want to prove my guilt, then let us make a deal. Out of everyone, you sparked my interest the strongest, anyhow. So how about this?"

He laid back in his seat, as Bruce and Anna came out of the shadows, ready for action...

"If you manage to beat both of my most loyal servants, then we can talk... however, if you lose... tomorrow, I shall count your participation in my tournament as error and you will be disqualified... but I am sure, you can make it through... just try hard, OK?"

The situation most certainly has taken an unexpected turn... however, there was no going back now, this opportunity may never present itself again to her... if she wins, she can check through the Mishima's folders and dig up every last one of his dirty secrets... without further hesitation, she gets into her standard fighting stance, and starts glaring at both of her opponents, who were warming themselves up for a good round of enjoyment with their "toy"...

"...Fine, you want to play a game... then let's play. It will be over before you know it."

Then, it was on... Jun is fighting off all two of Kazuya's most loyal servants... Ganryu should have joined too, but the Mishima had sent him out for a special task... he needs to take amulet from Michelle Chang away and bring it to him... just so he can hide it somewhere, where nobody could ever get in close reach of it... as the young Kazama was doing her business with the bodyguards, Kazuya was looking at his watch, wondering where his 3rd guardian was...

"What's taking him so long...? Ms. Chang is in no condition to fight properly at the moment, it cannot be that tough to steal an artefact from someone, that wears it around their throat as necklace... if these old notes of Heihachi were for real, then this amulet must be taken somewhere, where no one could possibly ever grab a hold of..."

He knew, that his father was no more... however, he wasn't going to take any chances. This pendant is too much of value to be left out in the unknown...

30 Minutes Later...

Jun has taken good care of both Anna and Bruce... both are resting all their weight on one knee, as they breath heavily in exhaustion... they still could not believe it, this girl actually beat all two of them... even Kazuya was comically baffled at how this Kazama managed to deal with two professionals, at the same time...

"Whoa... she was all on her own and yet... she won, fair and square..."

"I think, I may need a nice and warm, bubble bath now..."

But despite that, Jun also stopped making a fresh impression, by the end of it... she may have won, but only by a very thin hair, as she could have easily lost, should one of them have landed one more critical hit on her... she then saw the young Mishima approach her, as he had to clap, being deeply impressed by her top notch performance... as both his bodyguards leave the hall to get some treatment of their injuries...

"Not bad... not bad at all. You were wounded, you were ready to fall as blatant dog food in front of the wolves, that are my comrades and yet... the final desperate twitching of the prey, has proven to be a good, clean sweep, that brought you victory..."

And as a sign of respect, he offered her a hand to help her get back on her feet... Jun was troubled... she could already tell, this man is not entirely clean, but she had to give him to this... he has good manners, despite his revolting way of speech... and actually, she never expected him to be so kind to her... so, she ended up taking his hand and heave herself upright again... anyhow, this was still her job and she didn't come to play games with the suspect, so down with the playing cards and get down to business...

"Now... I have done it... possess time to spare for me...?"

"Of course, you have rightfully earned it, my dear... well... you wanted to arrest me, huh? It appears my name proceeds my reputation... good news spread fast. I am a famous man."

"So... you are confessing the rumours to be true, after all?"

What came next, was something, that shall turn Jun's entire perspective of this man before her, to about 360°, a total heel turn... hearing that from her...

"Wait... what?"

...then made the Mishima, just roll on the floor, as he felt like dying of laughter and didn't sound like a maniacal laughter to be afraid of, he was genuinely amused by this girl before him... which made her comically angry, as her patience really grew paper thin with him... first, he made her go through hell, by making her fight off his "friends", which was unfair to begin with, since it was 2 VS. 1 and as an added insult, he refuses to take her seriously... it was hard, to blame her for feeling this way, since she did start to think, it's really just a game to him.

"That's... not funny...! Stop laughing and spill it already, did you commit those crimes or not?!"

"Ha... haha... I am sorry, but... the hell? When did I ever say, that I did do all that you pointed out to me?"

He then took a deep breath and drops the attitude to spill the beans at last...

"Alright, enough of this... let me explain myself... no, I NEVER did anything shady, at least, if you are counting everything that you and many others from the mass media, accused me to have done in the background... and I can even show you the proof... and I have nothing to hide, just come along. None of us has anything to lose."

Jun liked the sound of that... finally, he agrees to listen to reason and be real with her. And of course, she can only truly arrest him, if she has evidence... however, if he has a waterproof alibi, with proof to boot... she may reconsider her options.

"...fine. Let's go."

"Ladies' first..."

Now what followed, was a montage of Kazuya first showing the Kazama, the private botanic garden and the open fields, owned by the Zaibatsu, that also belonged to the Biotech Research Station, also part of the Mishima corporation... he explained to her, that these animals aren't here for no reason, or for the sake of selling them for profit. He saved these creatures from hunters and the bodyguards from rich investors, that were roaming the areas, where it was actually illegal to undergo hounding or demolish the so-called "green lung"... he understood, that what he did was self-righteous, but he didn't ever dare to harm these animals or mistreat them, as they are in his hands... he also realized, he cannot keep them here for long, so they are only here for a certain amount of time, until he lets them free again...

Jun was indeed astonished. Perhaps, this man was much more humble and respectful, than he seemed at first... sure, what he did was not 100% pro-law, but he did it for a good cause and he wanted to guard mother nature's gifts to mankind... he had to mention, that he had tried everything in his might to also treat the wounded animals, but because he lacked the man power and the necessary Know-How for all this... that was the reason, why he had asked Dr. Bosconovitch to come along with him... and at the same time, he had to explain himself, before she completely misunderstood.

He NEVER kidnapped both Michelle's mother and Bosconovitch... it was all just a hazing, a little push for Yoshimitsu and Michelle, just to get them to move their asses over to the tournament and face the challenges ahead of them... he saw their performance in the first tournament and simply wanted to have a little fun with them, nothing sinister or anything like that. It's just his morbid sense of humour... and never held them captive against their will. He is even willing to set them free, once the times comes, as he still needs them for something, but it's the truth: They aren't in peril.

Now that the deed was done, the two fighters decided to take a peaceful stroll down a lane together, that leads them back to Jun's hotel, as she had seen everything... and she was still baffled... she had to admit it, as she began to slightly blush with an awkward smile...

"Now that I have seen everything... I believe, I owe you an apology for having suspected you THIS harshly... sorry, alright...?"

"I see no need for you to say sorry... I have been suspected of MANY things and you know something? The media can kiss my ass. The truth has two faces, after all and my presence is the living embodiment of what happens, once the media finds dirt on you... it's always the same song and it became pretty old, I stopped caring after a while..."

However, she forgot something...

"Wait a minute... one last thing... do you import drugs?"

"Huh?"

"You still haven't told me about this whole situation with the drug trafficking going on in Brazil... with your tankers being supposedly abused as transporters for this risqué "medicine"..."

However, it's one thing that the Mishima didn't understand... he NEVER imported any drugs, anywhere.

"Drugs? What drugs? I got no clue, what you are talking about..."

"So, I suppose... you aren't aware of it...?"

"Wherever this popped up, I can say out loud: I don't possess any drugs, nor ever decided to export them to anywhere. I only deal with cargo, but not with cocaine or some crap like that."

"But then-"

Suddenly, someone came speeding right for them...

?: "Wait! Don't go!"

"What? Who are you?"

Before them stood a middle-aged man, with a black-greyish, thick beard and tanned skin, who began speaking with a slight brazilian-portoguese accent...

?: "Are you Kazuya Mishima?! Oh, thank goodness, I found you...! Someone is tampering right now with your tankers at the docks...!"

"What did you say...?!"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Memorable Times (Part 3)

**Chapter 9: Memorable Times (Part III)**

At the docks of the Mishima Zaibatsu...

Masked men are seen, secretly carrying medium sized, yellow-planked boxes inside one of the docked-on tankers, that are owned by Kazuya Mishima, with its destination being Brazil... one of them, who didn't have a mask on and was dressed in a high class suit, was commanding the others, who turn out to be his personal bodyguards... a tall, black-skinned man with a thick black beard, yelled out to his men, who were busy transferring the secretive materials inside the ship...

?: "Come on, come on, come on! We don't have much time, get this junk into the ship and let's take a hike! Kazuya is not allowed to catch wind of this."

Bodyguard #1: "Yeah, yeah, we are already at it, but it takes time, sir."

?: "I know, I know... but please hurry! I don't want to deal with this nuisance. He was dumb enough to make a deal with the locals in Sao Paulo, who gifted him with these large ferries... and since a small part of my family owns one of the docks, we were on an agreement... and whoopdie-doo, we hit the jackpot... nobody would ever suspect me, of being the main importer of this gold-digging drug."

?: "...not so fast, my dear, oh so loveable friend."

?: "What...?! Who is there?"

However... this man's heart stopped beating for a second, once he realized something... Kazuya Mishima, accompanied by all of his guards and Jun and the old man... were now standing right in front of him, armed to the bone, ready to burn this dock to the ground, if they wanted to... and just as he feared, Kazuya did not look pleased in the slightest, if anything... he was personally infuriated by this rich man's treachery...

?: "How... how is this possible...?! Why did no one inform me about this...?!"

"Oh, don't you worry. For this, I have a fairly simple answer for you..."

The Mishima's serious glare fell upon the old man, who had told him of what was going on, in his private property... but this angry look wasn't directed at him.

"Your good ol' friend, his name's Fernando Monteiro, by the way... how generous of him, to spill all the dirty secrets you were hiding from me. I was already wondering, why so many people believed me of drug trafficking, but now, I got it all figured out... and all the traces led back to you. Pretty suspicious, huh? The very moment, these ferries received a housing under my wing... one drugging scandal after another, began appearing on the newspapers all over the world with MY ugly mug on it... and for some reason, no one thought the wiser, because I am a huge name with lots of "prestige" background... but you... heh. Nice try... it almost worked... if it hadn't been for him, because now... I am ready to rip you to shreds."

Then... suddenly, the business man grew to become cocky for some reason... because he had been exposed, he saw no other way out of his tricky predicament, but to bluff...

?: "Tsk, fine, you figured it all out... but what are you going to do about? The public is in my favour, nobody is going to believe your word, given the position you are in... I feel for you, it's pretty tough trying to convince someone with deaf ears, right? You should have known better, when you decided to get in contact with my grandfather, who was willing to sell off his privately produced ships to you, the heir to the Mishima throne... what a joke..."

Jun then interrupted him, as she stepped bravely forward, ready to wreck the reality, he had built for himself, in which he believed to be invincible...

"I wouldn't be so sure about this... yes, we may not be in possession of any physical evidence at the moment, but you seem a little too forgetful... I now know how you look, everyone in this room, was a witness of your crime and since Fernando was kind enough to tell us your full name... should Kazuya decide to file a case against you... I bet, you won't be getting the last and probably best laugh... Eduard Gordo. Am I right?"

But Anna had to add something in... normally, the docks are strictly watched by multiple security cameras, however... for "unknown" reasons, somehow, every time the brazilian produced ferries would set foot on the exact same dock, the cameras there would suffer severe malfunction and static would replace the images... and this happened, whenever a month was coming to a close... it was clear to her, that this was only a hunch, but the chances of him having been the cause for this error in their system, are not that slim, when she considers his background... and as she explained it to him, she shrugged and smirked knowingly...

"Also... you dreamer. You don't seriously think, that we would be made a fool out of THAT easily. And given the facts, that your good pal over there, gave us to work with, gee, I wonder who could be responsible for the sudden interferences within our tested security system around here. Let me tell you something, once I make mistakes, I lose my cool and nothing will make me happier, but to see you beg for mercy in court, once we inform the CID about this and let them take your fingerprints, that may be scattered all over the control room for the cameras... so much for your swindling plans."

Hearing that, in combination with Jun's obvious threat... Eduard then looked at the middle-aged Capoeira fighter, going slowly insane with rage, as he then pulls out his gun and points it directly at him, feeling stabbed in the back.

"You old rat... how could you do this to me...?!"

"Hold it!"

Out of alarm, Kazuya and his friends get ready, even quickly pulling their guns in defence... but despite this, Fernando did not feel scared at all, even with his former friend being ready to shoot a bullet through his skull.

"There is no need for this, Eduard. Put that weapon away and listen to me-"

"Give me one good reason, why I should listen to you! I thought you were on my side! No, instead you sell me out to the law! I trusted you!"

"And I trusted you... but the very moment you started siding with the wrong people, just to gift your family's company with a sustainable financial support, not caring about the possible consequences for your flesh and blood... you ended up betraying yourself. I know, you're better than this..."

"Shut up...! Shut up! I don't need to hear this from some wrinkly, old fart, who couldn't even protect his own granddaughter's totally irresponsible family, with the mother having shat out a baby out of her innerly cave for far too early with not even a freaking roof over her head... I could have helped you, but no... you run away like a stray cat and with my back turned, you are pulling through with some shady practices, just to serve me on a silver tablet to Kazuya Mishima!"

Once this reached the middle-aged man's ear, he becomes legitimately angry himself, glaring ever so sharply at his old partner...

"I ran away... I can't deny it... my beloved daughter's husband was truly a false snake, he ended up dating more and more ladies, whenever she wasn't watching and when the right moment came, he put her out of her misery, right after haven given birth to her child... just so he doesn't have to pay the bills for her... for him, she and her mother were a total mistake... and all I could do was hide... with my little Christie in arms... but I was not able to accept this! I stopped running and made my way back, just to get my hands on this bastard...! With him gone... my baby won't have anything to fear for any longer... the deed was done, but I am far from finished...

However, his look started easing up, as he wants to gain Eduard's trust in him...

"You may be my next target, but unlike last time, I didn't come with the intention of killing you... at least, not now... I want to cooperate with you and come to an agreement. You can still blow the contract with these mafia bosses and we will be finding a different solution. I may not have one yet, but you will have to trust me on this..."

"Tsk... don't think that smooth talk, will get you out of this... I am still behind the huge lever here and one wrong move and expect me to blow your brains out instead...! I will continue to support my family's bloodline, even if it means going beyond the acceptance borders with my plans... and should you continue to get in my way, you will be no exception among those, who are on my list of "endangered species"...!"

Then, Kazuya had to speak out his warning, as everything began to seriously irritate him... it was pretty obnoxious already of this rich drug dealer to jump and ruin the ride for him, but the fact, that he still stubbornly set on making the lives of many miserable, even with the damage already being done, all for the sake of keeping his family afloat on a financial level... refusing to understand his former partner, it made him grow weary of the whole situation...

"Listen, I hate to interrupt this touching moment between families colliding, but may I remind both of you, that this was a serious offence to my company? I simply wanted to fix, what my old man ruined for many and then you had to show up and sabotage my hard work. And it's just as you said... people of your caliber, only get in the way... so if you might excuse me, let's get straight to the point."

And just when he took a few steps forward, the gangster boss suddenly grabs Fernando and holds him as hostage now, pressing his pistol underneath his chin, ready to shoot him a second mouth... everyone in the room became even more alarmed, as they began pointing their weapons even further forward... Bruce warned everyone.

"Hold your positions!"

"I am warning all of you... if you make it any inches further, you can already think about preparing a tombstone for this treacherous piece of garbage in my grip...! I will fucking shoot, you hear me?!"

"That moron, what is he thinking...?!"

While the girls and Kazuya try to keep the situation under control, Bruce and Ganryu had to secretly retreat out of the dock and enable their microphones to give out a command to their protective units, the Tekken Force...

"Ready? We have to do this, if he is surrounded, there is no option anymore for him, but to let go..."

"Let us better pray, that the other three will keep them busy long enough... Alpha-2, do you read?"

"Unit Beta-44, come on in...!"

After they had finished their calls, Bruce had to mention something, which Ganryu did not find very pleasant...

"Welp, good job screwing up. Next time, I doubt that Kaz will ever find a job for you under his hand. All you had to do, was take Michelle Chang's pendant, it couldn't have been that tough! And yet you royally fuck it up like no other..."

Even though, the disapproving reaction was more than comical music to Bruce's ears, Ganryu quickly composed himself again and found the right words to describe it to him.

"Hey! Don't judge me for that, I... I... well, I have to confess something... and that was the cause for my epic failure... I think... I had found the girl of my dreams... and as fate would have it, it turned out to be my target..."

"Michelle Chang...?"

Hearing this, the American was not able to contain his laughter and fell on his back, not resisting the urge to mock the sumo wrestler for that...

"Oh man...! I mean, I am happy for you, but really...?! At a time like this...? I cannot get over that, romance was the cause for your epic fail... unbelievable!"

"Can't you imagine how I felt during all this? I am not someone to harm a lady, especially one, that is nothing like all these easily exploitable and passionless ones. Anyone could tell, that she had fire within her soul..."

"Oh god, good grief, man... you are one of those men, huh? Once the goddess of love kisses you on the head, you end up totally throwing rational thinking out of the window... and by the way, your form of poetry needs some serious error fixing, if you want to impress any gal with it..."

However, then their small, more or less friendly, teasing chat was interrupted by them hearing footsteps outside... the Tekken Force has finally arrived and in addition to that, they also heard a chopper... that was the signal.

"OK, Ganryu... let's get this place bumpin'."

"Showtime."

So they regrabbed their weapons and made themselves ready to shoot down the bodyguards and possibly even Eduard...

...who was still holding the middle old Brazilian in his grip and even worse, he ordered his men to pull the guns too and now, encircled by all of them, Kazuya, Jun and Anna found themselves, completely surrounded, right within... and Anna had to make a snarky, sarcastic remark...

"Isn't that ironic? An assassin, being possibly slain by nothing short of hooligans... could this be anymore humiliating? By comparison, losing to my sis is nothing now..."

"Keep it together, Anna... we haven't lost yet. The party hasn't even started."

"Tsk, yeah right, and I will say it again... one wrong move... and not only will he get a fancily constructed funeral, but you three will be joining him on the way out...! So if I were you, shut your traps...!"

But the despite the bleakness of the situation, Jun remained cool and starts doing something smart... thanks to Lei's teaching during the shooting practice, she had adapted to some really precise and tightly crafted shots, that could scatter the brains of someone everywhere... it wasn't really her style to go on ahead and kill people with this technique, but she learned the hard way before, that sometimes, extreme measures must be taken in order to achieve success... so she then pulls out her trump card... a second pistol, with the clicking of the other, filling the hall.

"Hold still, Fernando... please, don't move an inch, I need a clear spot..."

"Hey, what are you doing? Haven't I made myself clear-"

"You did. But that won't stop me from bluffing myself... since you were so nice to start with it... recently, I had some good shooting practice and given the circumstances, I won't be afraid to let one of my bullets penetrate your skull. And I swear, I won't miss, at least... NOT as long as you move an inch further away from me. Even if you were to dodge the first one... the second bullet will be sure to hit you anywhere... chances are 50/50. But again... I only learned of this technique, off duty, so I could 100% fail and not strike you down... want to gamble on it?"

Kazuya was indeed impressed by this young lady... she was pure and all, but also dangerous. A weapon, only deadly, if used right... and he had to admit something. This was the first time, where a woman of all people, managed to make him feel some inner insecurity. To Eduard, it sounded like nothing short of an empty threat, but to him... the sincerity in her words confirmed Kazuya otherwise... he smirked, while turning his eyes over to Jun, with his pistol still targeting the Brazilian...

"You are one dangerous pack of dynamite, Kazama..."

"You must be bluffing! Yes, this is it! It's only a bluff! Heh, a good reason why I was never able to stand women like you! You talk big, but your actions are above mediocre at best!"

This made the young Interpol officer even more determined to test it out...

"Are you sure...? We could put it to the test... once I shoot, I want to see you keeping up that attitude of yours... like I said, I could entirely miss, but at the same time... it's only a 50% chance and judging the situation we are in, that is more than enough for me... so how about it?"

Now, Eduard was no longer feeling like he had the higher ground... everyone should know, that Jun never jokes about her being able to mentally screw with her enemies, throwing seemingly hollow warnings at them... while at the same time, possessing that one certain thing, that set her apart from the rest of the police officers... it was like, she knew, she can win and her facial expression alone, gleams with the confidence of a winner... a confidence, that could break anyone, should they turn out to be one to pull out the short end of the stick... and all that the young Brazilian could do, was laugh like a maniac and just further press his pistol against Fernando's throat, who slowly made the impression of him losing his consciousness, due to all the emotional stress he had been put through so far...

"Ha! Hahaha! Very funny. Stop dreaming, as long as he is in my grip, I am the potential victor, so don't test me! Good riddance with him, should you-"

Then, he got, as unusual as this was for her to do so, with the circumstances now forbidding her to be forgiving, rudely interrupted by Jun, who has exchanged her serious gaze with that of a soul-piercing glare... and he wasn't the only one, feeling the intensity in her look. Everybody else, even the young Kazuya, were shocked... a shiver went down his spine, never has he felt such genuine dismay from someone...

"I see, so you do only have a huge mouth and nothing behind it... honestly, if it wasn't for what you did to Mr. Mishima, I would almost feel pity for your sorry excuse for a life... this time however, I don't like playing nice like usual, so do yourself and Mr. Monteiro a favour and leave in good spirit... and I hate to repeat myself, but I cannot make it anymore clear, than it already is... you move... I myself, WILL shoot."

"Grrrr... stop this... you are one crazy bitch... stop this at once...!"

"I can make my threats a reality... and I never go back on what I say... let him go."

The pressure was slowly starting to crush Eduard mentally... he could now sense it... it all came from Jun and it was like her voice was repeatedly ringing inside his brain... echoing around...

"Stop it, he is so fucking dead! Say one more word, and I will-"

"Let... him... go...!"

"Stay back!"

"Let. him. go."

Then, a booming, microphone powered voice boomed from above...

"HALT!"

The moment, it was heard... Tekken Force soldiers began breaking through the ceiling, with a few more jumping through the windows from the side and even landing close before the entrances that lead inside the ship, completely surrounding Eduard's squad and not giving them any means of escape... this made the Mishima grin, as he nods to one of his employed soldiers in approval...

"I knew, I could count on my men... they are the most loyal troop, you could ever ask for..."

"Tsk, took them long enough..."

TF-Soldier #1: "Sir, we caught the signal, we are awaiting your next command."

Kazuya raises his arm, ready to drop down and tell them: Fire. But first, he starts smirking at the young Brazilian and his group of drug dealing thugs, pretty much saying:

"Any last words, you clown...? All the cards are in MY hands now... but let's be fair, alright? If you are willing to let go of your friend over there and swear, that you won't ever set foot in this place again... I may be sparing you. Remember... we are surrounded. And your men's equipment is laughable, in contrast to my glorious Tekken Force... any wrong moves and it will be you to end up with a bullet in your head... I'd advise you, do not do anything rash, OK?"

Again, it wasn't Jun's cup of tea to order up such an unnecessary cruel tactic to call up for fully trained soldiers to guard her... at the same time, it felt strange to say the least... it's as if Kazuya had just read her mind and grew to understand, that the first step to major success on the battlefield, is to also rely on some more "psychological warfare", to make the enemy question their own actions, before putting them to the test... she felt flattered, deep down. With the exception of Lei and her friends, there weren't that many to appreciate her strategic thinking... she could not resist to pop out a small smile of gratitude...

"A wicked man, indeed... but at least, he knows what he is doing..."

And as it looked like, their plan seemed to bloom full on... having realized, he had lost the game... Eduard finally lets go of his old partner and makes him tumble over to Jun's side, right back to safety... this admit of defeat, gave the Mishima a satisfactory feeling, that could not be described in words alone... during all this, he actually learned something... killing your enemies may sound inhumane, even though, at least from his point of view, it's a necessity at times to save the innocent lives of others, at the same time... but... putting them in a mental conflict, giving them a good sense of your superiority, forcing them into making game changing decisions, with the penalty of death, should they fail to do the reasonable thing... it sounded more quenching in itself. And he had to raise both hands, on a lower level, to get to Anna's and Jun's height, doing a high five with the two... and saving two more for Bruce and Ganryu later...

"Oh well, I think, I can make exceptions, right...?"

But just when Jun was about to ask, whether he and his men will come along or not... a small laughter could be heard, all coming from Eduard and it soon became a maniacal and loud one... and Anna had to question, comically looking annoyed as hell...

"What's the deal with this guy? Has he completely given up on himself?"

"You think that even scratches me in the slightest?! I calculated everything right from the start, that it would all end like this. I knew, you would send out your troops to come after me and you know what... that was your hugest mistake, Kazuya."

"What...?! What are you talking about?"

"It's simple... I wanted to lure you and your men in here..."

To everyone's shock, the Brazilian then takes something out of his pockets, that looked like a grenade to them...

"...just to get the big score! Bye-bye!"

...but as it turns out, it was a strongly concentrated and thick mixture of tear gas and the moment it came in rough contact with the ground, the smoke began spreading so quickly, nobody was quick enough to react on time and the results were severe, as everyone began coughing and rubbing their now burning eyes from after effects of the distraction based weapon.

And while no one was paying attention, after that irritating fog had finally lifted, the Mishima had to realize in dismay... Eduard... was nowhere to be seen, much less his men... with a small number of his loyal Tekken Force combatants, laying dead on the ground, with a hole in their protective helmets, obviously having gotten struck by bullets, that went straight through their skulls... and to put further insult to injury, suddenly, a few more of his soldiers began falling out of the helicopter from above their hoods, that was sent in to support Kazuya and his troop from the air... that bastard of a man, has hitchhiked one of his choppers with ease. It appears, they all indeed were prepared for everything here... and everyone could see the brazilian gangster, sticking his body out of the door, laughing at them in triumph...

"Aww, too bad, isn't it? The traitor is about to make his way back home, with one of your beloved toys... kinda like taking candy from a baby. You simply bite the hand, that feeds you, that's how it goes. So farewell!"

As they flew off, Kazuya angrily punches the container, which was positioned right next to him, leaving a clean dent in the shell, as he began shivering, seemingly ready to explode...

"Darn it...! Darn it all...! I can't believe this, how could I have been so stupid to trust this asshat...?! He had so much dirt on himself and yet I blindly trusted his word, as if he was a trustworthy business partner...!"

The soldiers and his bodyguards, even Jun, can actually feel his pain right now... even they felt truly upset about themselves for having fallen so easily to his charade and that dirty trick at the end, didn't help the situation... however, the young Mishima then decided to keep it cool and try to figure out a way on how to still get his hands on that filthy rat of a man...

"Anyways... no matter... he hasn't won yet. He should put the celebration on hold, as I am about to still deliver him the gift, that shall be his punishment for having double crossed me...! Soldiers!"

Then, all the remaining Tekken Force soldiers left alive in the room, began gathering up in the middle, all simultaneously stepping forth...

"Yes sir?"

"Prepare the other choppers available! We will go after this guy. He will be in for a good kind surprise. He should learn, that I am not someone to be simply played around with, like a cheap whore, before the clean withdrawal from a bank on payday. Since he was dumb enough to highjack one of our choppers, the GPS signal must be fed to the radar and there you go! And I am not talking about a child's birthday kind of surprise... go and-"

An interruption came in on Fernando's behalf, as he had a different plan, that the Mishima could put into action... it was risky, but anything could happen from here, so he won't waste any chances available to him...

"No, wait! Before you send out your men, may I please ask a favour of you?"

"Hold on... a personal favour? What is this all about, Mr. Monteiro?"

The gaze of the middle aged Capoeira master then darkened, as the favour involved something along the lines of "framing" him... Kazuya and the others could already sort of predict, what he was plotting, since it was obvious, that he and the Mishima had the similar interest of not letting the young Brazilian get away with his shady business...

"Please, I beg of you... send your unit to Brazil and let them get stationed somewhere to keep watch of Eduard... and once the right time comes, they shall break in and assassinate him, all on my and your name, but... his son must be spared, at all costs and instead, be put into prison, alongside me... once I return home, I will be confessing to the local police anyhow, that I am the culprit, who committed the murder on Christie's father..."

Kazuya could not help it... he was seriously troubled about this whole concept he was describing to him...

"Say what...? You want me to kill this man, all on your request...?"

"Only when the right moment presents itself, yes... and once that is done, his son, Eddy Gordo, must be put in jail as well, like me..."

Hesitation was a weak word to say in order to express the disapproval of his idea... and there was a deeper reason behind this... Kazuya's life got completely wrecked, the very day, where his father had thrown him off a cliff, leaving him to bleed to death at the bottom of the ravine... and if there is one thing, he despised doing the most, is to ruin the future of other aspiring youngsters, as he just refuses to make them go through something comparable to his experiences... he denies to become like his father and yet, here he is... being told to break his own rules, to which he wanted to always remain deeply loyal to...

"But, what about that kiddo...? Will he be ever fine with this...? Can't you see, that you are ruining his future by putting him behind bars?"

"Look, you have to understand... I am not doing this for myself, it's all for his and Christie's safety... should you kill Eduard now, the mafia will catch wind of this and target his son, since he is the only one left, that is connected to him and the drug business... as long as he lives in freedom, he is not safe from their wrath... and it's better for him to be spared from the harsh reality, that he was born into... hence why I came up with the idea of putting him behind bars too... trust me, it's only for the best..."

Then Jun jumps in, as she wants to suggest an alternative, not being able to accept this plan of his... and you could tell, how much she was disagreeing with it, by how both her voice and heart began to sink...

"But... what about me? I am from Interpol, I can inform the local authorities in Brazil to keep watch on Eddy, once we have our hand on Eduard... that way-"

"No! We risk too many lives, trying to guard the little one from these sons of bitches! The mafia is a force to be reckoned with. In Sao Paulo, they pretty much RULE over almost everything. It can't be helped, can't you understand? And if the police is out to protect Eddy, these assholes from the mafia will figure it out and wait for the perfect moment to assassinate him, while they aren't watching! It's really better for him spend a life inside a prison cell, instead of repeatedly fearing for his own, innocent life... he deserves far better... but as long as they are out and about, I can't guarantee for anything..."

"But Fernando-"

Just when the young Kazama was about to form another, possible compromise with the used up Capo, Kazuya steps forth and blocks her with his stretched out arm, looking at her with a serious, yet comforting look, as if he knows what he is doing... when really... his insecurity bested that of Jun's by miles... but as it stood, he had no other options to pick from...

"Looks like, we really did pull the shorter end of the stick this time... alright. I will oblige."

The middle aged man falls to his knees and holds both of the Mishima's hands in sincere gratitude... being almost at the verge of tears... this whole ordeal was cruel indeed, so much so, not even Kazuya approved of such methods, but if it serves to protect an innocent soul... he is willing to make sacrifices...

"I thank you... from the very core of my heart, Mr. Mishima...! I simply don't know, how to repay your generosity...!"

However... another problem jumped into his head and he had to spell it out...

"Wait up... haven't you also mentioned a girl named "Christie"? What about her...? Where will she live, once you are locked up? Will she be fine?"

"Don't mind her... let this be part of my concern... once I am home, I will send her off to live at an orphanage for the time being... a letter, with the approval of the orphanage, along with some cash to live for a while, will be left behind at my expense... it's all for her and Eddy's well-being... it's a serious risk, but I am willing to take it, should it mean keeping them safe from any bodily harm..."

He then stands up, glaring at the Mishima, with his look not being focused on him, but rather on something else...

"And besides, my prison sentence will give me the opportunity to train my Capoeira to absolute perfection... and once Eddy joins me, I shall teach him the ways of my Capoeira techniques... in hopes of him someday, avenging me...! The pieces are all coming together..."

"...I am still not over your ludicrous plan, but... if you are so sure about the end results..."

He spoke out his demand.

"Change of plans, my men! Listen up carefully! First things first, take your remaining comrades to the medical facility to get some treatment, if they still seem to possess a chance of survival and secondly, once you all returned to full health again, you shall make your way to Brazil, Sao Paulo to be precise and find refuge there... simply follow the GPS signal. For as long as you are present, I want all of you to keep a good eye on this rotten drug glutton. Note down the activities and send them to me later... but for the time being, see this as some sort of "work organized vacation"... can I rely on you?"

"Sir, yes sir! You can!"

"Good... now then, take them away and let them rest... and may the other ones rest in peace... and good luck, in advance. I will be counting you."

And with that being said, the soldiers carried their wounded or dead companions out of the docks... and having done the deed for the night, Kazuya, Jun and his guards returned back home... but the Kazama decided to accompany the young Mishima back to the Mishima Zaibatsu, as she felt that something was wrong with him... she could not point her finger on it though. What matters though, is that he seemed in need of some extra company... she stops in her tracks, while she was on her way back to the hotel... and decides to go and pay Kazuya one more visit, partially out of duty and... a more or less "selfish" desire to not be lonely for one night... as she felt intrigued about him...

Later...

Kazuya is seen, sitting in his office, looking quite melancholic... he had to reflect on everything that has happened today... first, he encounters a mysterious lady like Jun, who he has grown to find quite interesting in more ways than one... and then, for the first time ever, he began feeling something, he never would have thought to come across... and that was the genuine feel... of betrayal... having had to find out, that one of his business partners, was the root of his crumbling reputation as owner of his father's company... and even having lost a few of his best men in the act... it didn't happen that often and if you combine all that, happening in one night, it felt anything, but pleasant... and he had to also admit something... sure, his bodyguards are also sharing the status of "close friends" in his book, but he also wanted to respect their private life, so he decides to not get too involved with their problems and they were merciful with him on this... after all, they are in the same boat, being individuals, who had received the cold shoulder of society... all of them felt connected to one and the other, almost as if they were a family by itself...

He turned his seat around to look outside, through the glassy wall... the moon was shining beautifully tonight... and it had a soothing effect on him... he chuckled, as he thought to himself... he could not forget Fernando and what he had told him...

"Seems like, there really do exist people, that can be potential friends of mine... not really "friends", but I can relate to them, definitely... as if having one scumbag for a father in this world isn't enough... but..."

...then his mood quickly swung over to become sad again, as he had to think of Eddy and how his life may progress from now on, now that he knows the truth.

"...I really hope, that Eddy will be safe and sound... knowing to what kind of family he was harshly born into... all I can do, is pray that everything will end well for him, but in all honesty... I hate to play as the pessimist, but having witnessed this man's true colours, I am not so sure anymore..."

However... he looked at Jun, quite a few times until now... and he began to form a solid admiration for her fearless, yet quite daring persona... she had ideas that night, that not even he would have come up with, if he hadn't taken her subtle hints... he felt challenged, as if he had found an equal to his... this was basically music to ears. So he grinned and looked up at the moon again...

"Jun Kazama... heh, it's not very often, that someone manages to be a few steps further ahead, than me... I saw many women, but out of all, she seems to be special... I don't know what it is, but my bile fascination for her has grown quite unnatural... if that is even the right word for it... there was something about her, that made me feel so... at home... at ease... as if I had found someone, that was on my level, if not... in a more reversed way..."

His gaze then fell on the cameras on his monitor above the door... and he saw, that Jun was making her way to him, as it looked like... he nodded in approval.

"Speaking of the devil..."

But suddenly... he had to clutch his head in pain, as he starts kneeling slightly lower... something was not right with him, as this was one of his "days" again... he resisted heavily, thrashes around, before rushing for the drawers on each side of his office, as his head began to pain even further...

"Huh, grrr... no, not again...! Where... where is my medicine...?! I can't let it out again... like last time...! Come on... come on...! Where is it...?!"

In his panic, he had completely forgotten, where he had put his medicine away last time, where he had to use it, in order to calm, whatever was consuming him and causing the throbbing in his head... and once he finds the package of pills, made by the best doctors possible in the world... he realized... it was empty...

"Oh no...! I totally forgot... last time, I wasn't able to take them, since I forgot to send in more in reserve... ugh! Ragh!"

And as cruel as his fate could possibly be in that very moment, his chest began heaving, stronger and more frantic than ever... as he then swiftly gazed down upon his bare hand... who slowly starts to change in colour... to the colour, dark purple... he could not control himself anymore, as his nails grew to become sharp claws and tumbles out of the office, falling to his knees... as he starts growling in an animalistic kind of way and sharp fangs start to grow in his mouth... with his clothes also beginning to slightly stretch, as his body grew more on the flesh ratio and claws broke through his shoes...

Meanwhile...

The young Kazama had just arrived in the throne room... the white and soothing shine of the moon, was illuminating this normally dark hall, through the now open windows... as her feet gently tapped on the red carpet underneath her, she was wondering, where Kazuya was... so she yelled out for him... of course, she doesn't know, where exactly his office was, as it was actually a hidden path, leading up to it, right behind the throne room... which she hasn't ever seen... so she had no choice, but to call him out and wait...

"Kazuya! Kazuya, are you there? No need to be shy, come out. I didn't come for business reasons this time, I just feel like-"

She stopped dead in her tracks... as she heard something... it was faint... but it sounded to her like... rumbling... followed up, by something, that sounded like... huge wings, swinging through the air... she looked around, but could not see anything, that could have caused this unusual sound interference... but this only made her feel even more alerted... this silence was too strong for comfort...

"I don't like this... it's too silent here... too... silent..."

But this moment of complete silence... was then interrupted by a loud explosion, that came from outside... she turned her attention to the windows... as she also saw rubble falling down, confirming, that the noise was coming from that direction...

"..."

...every little colour in her face began to fade however, as her now deeply horrified gaze fell upon something, that descended from above, blocking out the light of the moon... a huge, unholy looking creature... with two large wings, purplish skin, horns on its forehead and red glowing eyes... came to unfold before her...

"What... what in the world is this...?!"

...and just when she could further collect her thoughts, she had to endure a menacing shriek, coming from whatever that thing was, which causes the glass to crack, before eventually breaking and just scattering all across the room, with Jun jumping back to avoid getting hit by the glass... but this one moment of relief, gave in, as she saw in horror, how this beast just came flying straight at her, catapulting her into the air... with her harshly landing back down with that monster, nailing her down, by pressing a foot against her stomach... which was already painful on its own, but because of the creature's clawed toes, it began cutting through her white shirt, with blood immediately flowing... she could not contain a scream of agony, with this being immediately kneeling down to threaten her to keep quiet, by pressing his sharp claws against her throat, ready to slice against...

"..."

...and during all this, he didn't say a single word... and all that Jun could do, was whimper in pain, as tears start streaming down her cheeks, as she was not able to handle anything going on right now... and when she took a closer look at the face of this being... her heart skipped a few beats... it definitely was Kazuya... albeit, looking... different than usual...

"Ka...zuya... why... what are you... doing...? Let me... go...!"

...but as soon as she said his name out loud, he starts to shriek in rage again, before charging up, what seemed to be a yellow laser, gathering all up on his forehead... she wanted to escape, but as soon as she started resisting, the more the nails of this thing with Kazuya's face on, start digging into her skin and the more pressure is being applied on her stomach...

She abandoned all hope of every escaping this nightmare... was this the end for her...?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's note: Huge shoutout to AwpWilliams on YouTube for inspiring me with his lore video, regarding the backstory of Eddy Gordo and Christie Monteiro, to implement it into my headcanon. You rock, dude.


	10. Memorable Times (Part 4)

**Chapter 10: Memorable Times (Part IV)**

That was it... thought Jun... in the acceptance of her incoming fate, hope had died along with her... she is now at the mercy, of... whatever this was, that seemingly had the face of Kazuya himself... ready to blow her entire head away with his beam, charging up in between his horns...

"Is this... how I am going to go out...? I always knew... my job was a risk, but... never would I dream of my work... to get down to this level..."

However... then, for some bizarre reason... she felt the need to touch something with her left hand... she wasn't really aware of it, almost as if her own body had now developed its own will... in hindsight, she theorized it having been some sort of instinct, that her animal nature told her to do... like, she knew, this was the end... but deep down, she also knew, that it didn't seem like Kazuya was willingly doing this to her... like, someone or more like "something", was forcefully trying to commits act, that are beyond his control... a genuine feel of sympathy bloomed within her heart and as it would be... her hand gently touches the clawed hand, that was preparing itself to slit her Adam's Apple... accompanied by a look of hers, directed at this monstrous being, that wasn't filled with any remote sense of resentment or with a lack of acceptance... more like, she felt sincere pity for him... as if, he only transformed like this, because he lacked something... whatever it was, she was willing to form a truce with him...

But just in that very moment, the monster freezes up, as its fury began to subside and he is forced to take several steps back... thus, freeing the young Kazama from captivity... she was definitely baffled now... all it needed, was just a caring touch and that was it...? And what's even better, is how the creature has fallen to its knees, grasping and looking at the hand, that she just moments, had just come in contact with hers... it was shining in a golden light, revealing the purplish skin, fading away into thin air... Jun slowly stood up, panting, as she was now able to fully process the agony and calm down to be at peace of mind...

"What's going on...? Did it... sense, that I was worried for him...? Then, how... does a single touch of my hand... "cure" him...? Am I missing something?"

She then focuses on her open palm... she began questioning... could that work again? After all, she was completely against violence towards those, that quite obviously, aren't being themselves and she is willing to look for alternatives to get them back to the way they used to be... no harm done. Very carefully, she began making her way towards this unknown creature, which seemed to be Kazuya, holding out her hand, ready to give him another loving touch...

"Maybe... could this work a second time...? But I need to stay in alert... it's still dangerous, after all..."

Of course, she sort of predicted this to not go down that smoothly, as this hellish monster then quickly recovered and lashes out on the Kazama, slicing a bit of her clothing off, with her escaping by only a hair, by backflipping... and this wasn't all. It was then followed by him firing the laser at her, which he had all saved up previously for her, before being interrupted by her touch and once again, having been a lot more prepared this time around, she wheel jumped to the side... with the laser barely missing her, only burning part of her white top away, leaving her left shoulder completely exposed now... and just when this thing spread its wings, just to ram right into her once again, Jun crosses her arms, before slamming both of her open palms into the charging beast, right into the chest... with the impact causing him crash right against one of the pillars, before flying back up again, glaring down at this young lady... who steps back and goes into her fighting stance, mustering up all the courage she had within her heart...

"No immediate cooperation, huh? Well then, I may have to do it by force, if I really have to..."

"Raaaaaaagh!"

Then, this abnormality starts going berserk, by relentlessly firing a proper barrage of lasers all over the place... because of the random pattern, the young Kazama found herself getting struck by a few of them and it wasn't hard to miss, as there were several small, but noticeable cuts all over her body... luckily for her, the monster had to pause for a second, as it quite obviously has grown exhausted from having relied too much on his supernatural weaponry... which the police officer took advantage off, as she runs towards one of the pillars, making use of her natural agility and light bodyweight, just to run as high as her feet would carry her, up the pillar, before jumping off and landing right on this beast's shoulders...

Once it realized, his prey had outsmarted him, he starts violently shaking around, just trying his hardest to get her off of him, however, defending herself was not really necessary, as she has already climbed on top of its shoulders by now, thanks to her flexibility, before then... starting to step two times in between his horns, right on top of his skull... with the last stomp being the most painful, as both she and this beast collapse down to the ground, with Jun jumping off just in time... now, whoever it was, all it could see, was stars with how stunned it felt, giving the Kazama a chance, that she'd really hate to miss...

"It's time, now or never...!"

She dashes forward, nailing this monster right in the stomach with a well-timed chop from her right hand, continuing onwards with two low jabs, before doing a White Heron Dance, followed by a swift jab from the right, before jabbing forward from the left... before then doing a clean sweeping kick, which sent Kazuya(?) slightly above the ground, with her then ending this painful combo, with a Housenka, delivering a good package deal of pain to this unknown abnormality...

"Unconventional methods are sometimes necessary, if you want to step out of danger in pride... and no one has any idea right now, how mentally challenging it was for me of saying that..."

"Grrrr..."

As expected, that wasn't nearly enough to put him in his place, as he spreads his wings wide open again, to hover over the ground, keeping his gaze locked onto her... seemingly analyzing and studying her... once he was done, with Jun remaining on her toes, ready for anything he might throw at her, he then raises his arms, growls out loud... before then revealing yellow spikes growing out of his purplish body and during all this, he didn't look away, almost as if he was marking her with a red target... and before anyone could guess, what came after that, he began flying across the room, merely inches away from the ceiling... all the while firing off the spikes, off of his frame, as if they were very small, but quick tracking missiles...

Even though, she knew what was coming, she was not able to find a way to properly defend herself against this unusual technique, which included really small projectiles, as an added bonus to injury, who follow her every step of the way... and so it happened, that she got struck by quite a few of them, cutting her almost everywhere thinkable, before she took the smarter way out, by running all around and sidestep or jump away from the missiles. These spike "bullets" were so small and flexible in movement, it was almost impossible to get away from them unscathed... and by the end, she fell to her knees, panting, as she gritted her teeth and tried to process all of it and find a quicker way to recovery...

"Talk about being in possession of quite the arsenal... no, you know what...? I won't even think about praying now... I am quite certain... there will come something else, that may or may not, catch me off guard..."

To her fortune though, a few of these spikes got stuck on her arm and despite the flowing blood and burning pain she felt, just by merely touching the spots which they had struck... an idea popped into her mind... which only further became a plan in her head, once she saw Devil charging at her from above... it was a moment of urgency, which made the adrenaline level in her body grow to such amounts, she had never hoped to ever reach in her life... she grabbed one of the spikes, stuck in her right arm, rips it out with her rapidly fading strength... and just when this monster ram right into her... despite her entire body now starting to curse her for pushing herself to such lengths... she rams the spike, deep into Devil's backside, with such force, it made the seemingly evil entity shriek in agony, as he stopped dead in his tracks to remove the sharp little projectile with all he could, giving the young officer enough time to get back into the defensive... leaving himself wide open for another onslaught, once again...

This time, Jun went for a different means of an attack... she knew, as a form of panic move, the satanic monster would try to hit her with the back of his hand and her prediction proved to be almost prophetic, as she steps back, the moment his hand was supposed to come in contact with her face, grabs it, pulls him closer and stuns him with a chop to his throat, rendering him completely defenceless...

Not wasting any more chances, the young Kazama went in for one more combo of hers... it began, with her uppercutting the Mishima into the air with her favourite Demon Slayer move, followed by her Iwato, just to keep him in mid-air, then starting to do a really swift Byakuren Tamasudare combo, with the last kick of that combo, sending him into a total tailspin... to which she responds, by sending him flying right into the now totally ruined windows, with her left frontal kick, straight forward... but much like before, he proved to be formidable adversary, as he recovered pretty fast and found himself hovering over the ground again, right above Jun's hood...

She then takes several steps back again, glaring at this beast, being ready for yet another barrage of whatever he was planning on utilizing... she should have been a little smarter, by first removing all these remaining spikes, that got stuck on her body, however... that was one of her least worries for the moment... all she could think about, was beating this thing, even if it meant dying of blood loss first... as things stood, she had already abandoned all hope of ever leaving here alive, which explained her apathetic reaction to her own flesh wounds...

But unexpectedly, this unknown being resorted to something else... all of a sudden, it began forming a pentagram behind it, having previously muttered the words of a satanic ritual, with five purple-dark flame balls circling around him... the intention was more than easy to presume...

"Flames, literally from hell? ...cliché much?"

...and as foretold, he fired off all of them in a few seconds and the attack pattern was, that once he fired two, they would start crawling around the floors, as if they were gigantic insects and track Jun down, as if they had developed their own mindset and despite the young Kazama having been successful at avoiding the flames, they still managed to do, what fires normally do in a building... setting stuff on fire and soon, they entire hall was set ablaze, crushing any hopes of her possibly escaping this fight... and as it hadn't been bad enough, being totally surrounded by fire, being literally locked in the same room with that monster in front of her, all of a sudden the purple flames came back to the Devil himself, completely engulfing him, turning him into this really hot manifestation of a fireball... before then taking advantage of it and flying straight at Jun again, believing he could grill her for BBQ...

...and unfortunately, being way faster than her, in the end, he manages to strike right past her, causing her to shriek in agony, as the flames, combined with the strong force of the recoil from the hit, burned part of her skin and she collapses back-first, down back to the ground, writhing in pain... for her, it felt like she had just came in accidental contact with melting plumb...

But Devil refuses to give her a rest and without hesitation, took the initiative and appeared right above her, ready to impale her with yet another laser shot... but Jun, being driven by her unbinding desire to finish this job, refused to give in to this beast, so she quickly opened her eyes and rolled to the side, avoiding the blast, at the last second, and she repeated that whole process again, while Devil was preparing for yet another one... and eventually, she changed her strategy to more on the offensive now... just when this creature was about to kick her from above with a Demon Scissors, she quickly turned over, immediately after having gotten up and catches one of his legs, swiftly turning it, making this monster roll in mid-air, before getting caught by the young Kazama once again, being nailed in mid-air with a Kanbashira, directly and smartly following it all up with one of her trademark moves... the Izumo.

Right after this, she uppercuts Devil further up into the air, with an open palm strike, right from below and the right... as he flew upwards, giving him no time to recover and win altitude again with his wings, she wavedashes ahead, performing a really graceful White Heron Dance on him, before then sending him into a painful tailspin with the last hit, ending it all with an uppercut palm strike from up close, before then brutally elbowing him forward, sending him flying into the throne, nearly breaking it to pieces...

Now, she didn't want to take anything for granted, so she sped forward, pinning the Devil against the chair, by pressing her wrist against his Adam's Apple to cancel him out from breathing in hopes of making him easier lose consciousness through that, blocking out both of his arms at the same time, by pressing her elbows against his wrists, pinning them down, as if she had just smashed knives through them and she even disabled his legs, by wrapping her own legs around his... now, she had him. Now, it was the perfect moment to try again with her previous plan...

"Give it up...! You can't get out... now stay still and be obedient...!"

It was a risk, but she had to take it, otherwise, all this madness here won't come to an end... she then swiftly removed her elbows, just to then... let her petite hands, gently touch Devil's cheeks... and this time, she was now able to see the effects of her own touch... a golden light emanated from her hands... as the beast starts filling the hall with pain filled screams of his own... and for a moment, it seemed as if Jun had actually won the upper hand...

...however, just when the transformation was supposed to cancel, it became then clear, this being had no intention of stopping, as it let out a menacing shriek, spreading its wings, causing the immense shockwave, to send the officer flying away from him, rolling across the red carpet, with her, as frustrated as she was, slamming her fist on the ground...

"Darn it... I almost had him... I was so close...!"

...but as she then took a closer look at Devil, she quickly grew to realize: Her efforts were not that non-fruitless, as the purplish skin has started to fade away, revealing human skin tone... and the horn have disappeared too... and it got 100% confirmed for her now, by looking at this thing's face... it was Kazuya. No doubts fallen anymore.

"I knew it... I thought, it was just something, that took on the shape and looks of him, but... no, this thing itself, IS Kazuya... but then... what happened to him...? What could have possibly caused him to look that... "otherworldly"... for the lack of a better word...?"

And she saw, how Kazuya slowly and threateningly approached her downed form, with her slowly getting back up again... if not, reluctantly, as the injuries are slowly drawing a toll on her... in an attempt to let this battle end with no further blood being shed unnecessarily, she calls out to him by name...

"Kazuya? Do you hear me...? I don't know if you can, but if you do... don't you recognize me? It's me, Jun. I am not your enemy...!"

"Grrr... Jun..."

"Huh?! So you-"

"Jun... Jun...! That name... it sounds... familiar...!"

"Yes, yes! Are you coming back to your senses...?!"

She wanted to get in closer and help him... but something was telling her to stay apart from him, as best as possible... so she decided for a more hesitant approach... and as the two got slowly closer... she went for some "smooth" talk, to try and comfort him... to just to gain its trust of whatever was holding him in its tight and fearsome grasp...

"Kazuya... please, you have to trust me... I don't want to hurt you..."

"That voice... Jun... is it really... you...?"

"Yes... no need to fear, I didn't come... with any malevolent motives... I came to help... but I can only do it... if you put faith in me... do you understand...?"

"You... want to help... me...?"

"Yes... remain calm, do not be afraid... I am doing all this for your sake..."

Jun figured, that if she really wants to save him, she may need to first confuse this monstrosity into trusting her and should he be at close range... it will be her time to go in and free the young Mishima, salvating him from the monster's grip... and now... both were merely inches away... with the Kazama, slowly... so slowly... touching both of his hands, pulling them gently closer to her, with both of her hands gently, yet firmly squishing them, adding in a gentle look in her eyes, that further calms the Mishima down... and once she began to smile, ever so lovingly... a soothed and relaxed groan escaped Kazuya's mouth... as the darkness around him... disappearing into thin air...

...but this wonder of nature was short-lived, as the two heard loud cracks above their heads... the hellish flames have grown to such strength, it must have melted the insides of all the parts, that kept that one part of the Mishima Tower in tact... now, it was not able to sustain for much longer and the now collapsing ceiling, threatened to totally crush the two under its immense weight... Jun screamed in panic, falling on all fours, not knowing what to do... before sensing someone wrapping an arm around her midriff, hearing the spreading of wings... before totally losing consciousness now... as the rubble buried both her and the young Mishima deep...

...sirens in the far distance could be heard...

...some time later...

The beeping of a heart rate monitor... was what made the young Mishima stir, as he groggily opened his eyes, scanning the suspicious areal around him... which turned out to be a simple hospital bedroom... he looked around, feeling quite awful and beat up... as if he hadn't slept for days and his body felt as heavy as a pack of bricks... and just when he tried to sit up, he had to immediately abandon that plan, as his entire body had begun aching like nothing else comparable...

His memory was still pretty messed up over what previously happened... he had no recollection of what he previously did... so all he did, was looking around, until... he looked over onto the opposite side of the room... in the second bed, right next to him, laid a woman... it was Jun.

The mere sight of her unconscious form, made him slightly panic on the inside... she really made the impression, as if she had suffered through nothing, but pure hell... the huge amount of bandages, covering over 50% of her limp form, immediately sent off alarming signals... even though, his mind was still in disarray, something deep within his heart told him... he was responsible for this... he began calling out for her, with a voice, weak, pathetic and pretty raspy, which was really unlike the otherwise, pretty tough martial artist...

"Jun... Jun, hey...! Are you awake...? Please, wake up... Jun...! Jun!"

For once, he would experience great fortune, as the female officer starts stirring herself... and very slowly turning over, to look at the Mishima, with a lot of agony being written down on her face... but at the same time, it then turned into a look, full of genuine relief... just to see the real deal, again... just by glancing at him, she immediately remembered, how she was trying to save him from himself, or... whatever this was that possessed him... and how the two fought to death, because of it... the same counted for the young CEO, as he felt the same amount of relief, just like her... especially recalling, what he had done to her...

"Kazuya... you're back...? That's good... I'm... I'm so glad..."

"Phew, thank goodness... you're still kicking, after all..."

However... these positive feelings were not for long, as the Mishima began feeling deep rooted dread... now remembering, what had happened... he realized, it was he, who did this to her... he wanted to greet her warmly and instead, greeted her the "wrong" kind of way... of course, he couldn't keep this up for long... he knew, he'd be figured out by her eventually, witty as she was... he took a deep breath and asks the question...

"...it was me, right?"

"Huh...? What are you... talking about...?"

"It was me... who attacked you... am I correct?"

"Wha- you're not... making any sense... what do you mean...?"

"The last thing, I can still remember... through my really chaotic mind, right now... is how I saw you... returning to my 1st residence... just to pay me a small visit or whatever... once you fell under the lenses of my security cameras... everything from that point onwards, was a blur... but... the state of your obvious, critical health... all the traces lead back to me..."

She understood... she saw, that despite this thing having had his face, she knew it wasn't him and yet... the two are still one and the same... she could not make any sense of that last part... her physical exhaustion didn't help matters...

"Are you... trying... to say that... this monster that I saw... was really you...?!"

He nodded affirmatively, confirming it to her... as ashamed as he felt right now, for having kept that a secret from her of all people... his bodyguards knew all about it, but he didn't dare open his mouth in front of her... whether it was scorn or mockery he was expecting on her behalf, he could not tell, but either way... because of his incompetence... she had to pay a hefty price... there was no excuse anymore, that he could come up with to try and hide his garbage... he had to tell her the whole tale...

"As much as it angers me to say it... yes. You were not seeing things... it really was me and me alone... and you know something...? I think, it's for the best, if I finally tell you the whole truth about me..."

And with that, the Mishima told her about his entire background... where he came from... how he became so strong... what his father did to him, right after he ended up murdering his mother... what he was forced to do afterwards... and how this monster, that Jun saw, was closely related to him... it was quite a tear-jerking story... never before, had she heard of such a cruelty having been the firm guide of someone, since the child's age...

Then, she noticed something... to which Kazuya immediately responded to, by pointing at his exposed chest...

"You see this scar...? That... is a daily reminder... of what kind of human being... my father had been... and I'll admit, that I indeed murdered him... but it's not like I had a choice... he already was a pretty inhumane guy, but if I had let him live... I refuse to even think about the possible consequences, that would have followed, not just for me... but for everyone else... that MAY have become a thorn in his side..."

"Your life was indeed the equivalent of a curse..."

"And you know what? Back then, when I awoke from my fall, something snapped within me... all I could see, was nothing but hatred... nothing else... my sincerest desire was to see this man, dead and buried... alone and unmourned... for having stolen my innocence... and yet... I felt something in the back of my mind... it was like having an inner monologue with yourself and yet, you weren't alone... only later, I realized what it was, that saved my bacon, not only once, but twice, if you count my second match with this old fart in the 1st tournament... and this one, would be introduced to me... as Devil. My alter ego..."

"Devil...? That's his name...?"

"Affirmative... however, despite him having saved my butt, more than one time... it still felt like I was succumbing to something, that I could not fully grasp... and it would always get triggered, should my rage or pure dismay, reach an all time high... yesterday, I felt in such disgrace for having let this brazilian drug dealer slip through my fingers... I was so close, but the goal had just turned for an unreachable altitude for me... even with Fernando's advice..."

The Mishima sighed, as he lays back, with his gaze easing up, quite a lot, making it no secret, that he felt quite discouraged for the moment...

"And I must confess, this is not the first time, that I had lost control like this... and whenever I forgot to get the medicine, that would keep me at bay... all done with the best scientists from the Mishima laboratories... I'd decide to let it all out, by flying through the sky, until the urge had been quenched... and I would try my hardest to save it for the night time... if I was to do it during the hours of the day... do I even need to explain, how much of a PR disaster that would be...? What if I was sighted by reconnaissance aircrafts from the military...? Or zeppelins...? The entire world, would deem me a threat, if they ever caught wind of me in my devil form and... yeah..."

Now it made sense to her... he was this thing, that she had seen, crossing the night sky, from the view of her balcony at the hotel... she shook her head in disappointment, as she did not think this further ahead... she knew, the danger was right close to her doorstep and yet, she pretended as if she hadn't seen that...

"It really was you, then... alright... now I'm really... starting to feel like an idiot... I knew, it was awfully sketchy and I still visited you... I was careless..."

He wanted to say something to cheer her up and indeed... he came to a conclusion... he has been wondering about this, ever since he regained consciousness... how did he turn back to normal again anyway...? Before he stopped being in control of his own actions, the last bit he saw, as the ceiling had already started to show cracks, before falling down on them... he saw a light... a pure light... and it all came from her, for some reason... he wanted to find out more...

"Jun... let me ask something... did it happen to be you... who had stopped the functioning, of my devilish form...?"

Once he mentioned that, it all came flashing back to her and she remembered immediately, how she exactly saved him...

"...Yes. You're right... this was all my doing..."

"If so... how did you do that...? Is there... something, that you may be hiding from me...?"

But to his shock... Jun looked at him, totally confused, confirming, that she had absolutely no idea, how exactly she managed to pull that off... it was pure instinct, and yet... she felt, as if it was purely righteous...

"I... I don't know... I really don't, all I felt... was the want to touch you... to sort of calm you down and let you know... that it was me... how you shouldn't be afraid and that I am here for you... I may have, more or less, said these words in one form or another, but... it didn't sound like me actually saying it... not wanting to sound arrogant or anything, but I had been mostly described thus far as "too kind for words", according to all my fellow colleagues... awfully generous and forgiving, even... with the enemy at hand... I seriously, don't have any clue, how I did that... but at the same time... does it really matter for the moment, anyway...?"

Kazuya was genuinely surprised... from the bottom of his heart... his comrades were really loyal to him, they had indeed shown, how they could be a family of their own... having been isolated and scorned by society, just as much as he was... but Jun... he began believing her to be far more... than just a strong ally on his side... and even though, he was never good with words to speak about his feelings, not being able to say it out loud, without also cringing with himself... there was no doubt here for him any longer... he actually... felt something way deeper for her... he starts looking over to her with wide eyes, feeling... for the lack of a better word... "happy"...

"..."

"What is it...?"

...and he could no longer hide a heartful, joyful grin, that began forming on his lips, as he looked at her, feeling quite at peace... it tingled inside his tummy... in a good way...

"...You actually saved my life, Jun. For that, I shall grant you my eternal gratitude... I am... no, we BOTH... managed to pull through... all thanks to you... we are still alive... and I cannot say anything else, but... thank you... Jun..."

With that, he carefully stretched out his right arm, signifying, that he wanted to hold her hand... wanting her to accept it... she began to feel strange, receiving actual praise from this man... her heart was saying otherwise, as she felt this to be so right in every conceivable way... he is now in her debt... she starts smiling in a really gentle manner, slowly returning the welcoming gesture with open arms...

"Heh... you're welcome..."

...then their hands entwined... a firm, yet warm grip... that was the moment... where they basically felt like one... especially Kazuya, even though he never was religious in the slightest, felt ever closer to god himself, as he had ever been, throughout his still young life on earth... and after that, the two were greeted by all three of the Mishima's most loyal defenders. Anna, Bruce and Ganryu came in, being very glad to see their good friend, still in one piece, despite the roughed up exterior... and once again, just seeing them caring for him so much, it annoyed him on one hand, but he cannot ever possibly be mad with them...

"You guys... really are something else..."

From that point onwards, not only would the tournament continue for the following week... during all this time, Kazuya had decided to lay back a little bit from all his regular duties, leaving his bodyguards in charge of everything in his absence... and invest a lot more time into strengthening his bond with Jun, whom he has grown quite fond in the course of a few weeks, prior to the tournament finals... there was no hiding it, he really liked being around her and it most definitely didn't feel like being with a typical kind of demanding and airheaded bimbo...

It was only later, where Jun would realize something, that she hadn't bothered paying much mind to... she had been so deeply sunk into getting to know Kazuya more, that all means of communication with her friends, drastically declined... but despite this, the two had quite the ride...

They'd go and visit casinos...

...go to theme parks...

...enjoy grand rounds of high quality sushi...

...go on some radical motorcycle races together, speeding straight for the horizon...

...and one part, that they enjoyed most of all... putting local crime in Tokyo at bay, with their own hands. That is what brought the most joy to either of the two, even Jun, who is not so much of a supporter of this, but agrees to it, should the moment call for it. This feeling of freedom, that the Mishima offers to her almost daily... she sensed herself becoming a sinner in no time and... she didn't feel bad about it, not even for a moment, where she should gain clarity...

...and then, the moment of truth came.

And now, as the crowning moment of their relationship, both were on the rooftop of the second Mishima Zaibatsu establishment, set in the city of Tokyo... both were, as an added flare of risk and reward, by Kazuya's demand, sitting on the edge of the rooftop, with the now colourful city, shining right underneath them, several meters above the ground... this sight made the two, especially Jun, feel quite fascinated and yet so subservient in the face of a possible drop off, so she decides to play it safe and stay as close to Kazuya as she possibly could... without risking her heart popping, as her heart rate happens to significantly increase now, anytime she is too close to him... and he didn't notice... until now.

"Hey Jun... you have grown quite red... you alright?"

But this only made the situation even more awkward for her... she comically slides a little further to the side, shaking her hands in defence, as she tries to shield herself with words...

"No! Um, it's-it's-it's nothing, really! I-I am just not, uh, used to... being that close to other guys like that! But-but, it's nothing against you, I-"

"It's OK, it's OK, no need to get all defensive. Let us make some distance then, if that is comfortable with you. I won't force you to do anything, that you don't want."

He does so, as he told himself... but this only made Kazama's desire to be closer to him ever more larger...

"B-But... I, umm... I DO want... to be... close to you... can I, please...? I must admit, I'm... pretty insecure at such dizzying heights..."

"Make up your mind, damn it..."

She swallowed her shyness and moved in closer... looking at the wonderful sight of the night sky, which was infested with quite the quantity of stars, making the sky ever more beautiful... with the bright and alive lights of Tokyo, just further bringing this world to life... and both felt quite cozy around one another...

...until Jun decides to break the silence and bring up a topic, which was still screaming for an explanation on her behalf... also something, which she purposely avoided to talk with him about, as it was her own business and she refuses to be a burden to anyone... especially him... so she gets up and decides to turn around and sit down, right behind the ledge, with her back pressed against it and her slowly pulling her legs closer to her body, looking quite melancholic... the Mishima was quick to notice, how she was no longer by his side... and only behind the ledge... her depressed looks immediately set off alarms in his head... so he followed suit and sat down right next to her, like before...

"...you would like to know more about me, right? You know why I kept quiet about myself... and only spilled too much of the trivial...?"

"What's the matter...?"

"This is something, that I never dared to talk about, even with my friends... it's only you, that I want to know about this... no idea why, maybe it's instinct, but whatever... I don't care anymore... I just need to get this off of my chest..."

He very gently raises her head, with only his index finger under her chin, looking at her with a soft look, to signify, he can be trusted for the worst of secrets to be kept under good, inner surveillance...

"No need to hide from me... my guards all have dirty secrets and yours... will also be in good hands... so what is it?"

She took a deep breath... and down it went...

"Remember when you told me, how your father had been so demanding of you, just wanting you to become the new heir of the Mishima Zaibatsu... someone, that is worthy of leading the empire to glory...? Even having made you go through some more rigorous training, than any other...? Well, at that moment... I felt closer to you, as I ever have... with anyone else, in the course of my life... someone... seemed to finally understand me..."

"In... what way exactly...? Don't tell me, you... experienced the exact same things, like me... you know, your mother getting murdered by some old assclown, that also happens to be your oh so beloved daddy... and the latter dropping you off a cliff too... all because you "weren't worthy enough"..."

However, it came as a surprise to him... that this wasn't the case and yet... it still felt unpleasant, listening to it...

"Actually... no, it wasn't like this... it was indeed pressuring, but there is something you need to understand..."

FLASHBACK

We see a really young Jun, dressed in a kimono, being guided through the woods, by her father, who was holding her small hand, to give her a lecture of understanding the wild life around her... and Jun seemed pretty mesmerized...

Jun: "My life was pretty peaceful... if not, more or less isolated from the modern life outside... I come from a family lineage of Kazamas, called the Okami-Kazamas... we are a group of people, that mostly reside in the forests of Japan... specifically in Nagasaki... and like I said, unlike your life, mine has progressed without any strong interferences... I was just a little girl, born on the countryside... with my family, especially my father, his name being Junpei, having taught me the ways of a true Kazama..."

We then see, a slightly older Jun, training with her father, who teaches her the more traditional style of Kazama martial arts...

Jun: "And aside from guiding me and constructing a solid path for me to follow... my father was willing to teach me the traditional style of the Kazama Karate... however, unlike your Karate, mine was not designed around the spectrum of how quick I can put someone out of his or hers misery... its purpose was to put someone at bay, protecting them from themselves... it was not meant to be a deadly and merciless way of defending yourself from your oppositions... it indeed helped a lot though, because nowadays, utilizing its assets became a necessity... especially for my job. And I will always remember his teachings..."

We also see, Jun happily hugging both of her parents...

Jun: "It was all heaven on earth for me... just being with my family... it was all I ever asked for and nothing else, could make me happier..."

...however, the scenery quickly changed to a really grim one... as we then see Jun and her father, alongside the other members of the clan, standing in front of a tombstone... with the name of her mother, being carved into it... Chuya Kazama... 1938 - 1978... as expected, a teenage Jun, was on her knees, weeping out loud... with Yamato crying with her...

Jun: "...until one day, fate took a swift turn, as death took away my beloved mother, Chuya... due to a fully developed tumor, which had been found inside her skull... it was too late to help her... she may have been far more strict, than my father... and she most certainly scolded me every now and then, should I mess up, but nevertheless... her love for me, was as real as it could ever be... her iron hand, kept me in line..."

And it only got darker, as we then see a scenery, of Yamato marrying a woman, who looked at the teen Jun with scorn and disgust... with her looking away, with her heart obviously heartbroken...

Jun: "Two years later... due to revolts within the clan and financial issues, which my father could not sustain any longer, both mentally and physically, he forced himself to marry a wealthy woman from the urban region of Japan... hoping to finally becoming able again to feed the clan and its people... that woman though... she was awful... she had no respect for all that we Kazamas stood for and she showed no interest in me, other than seeing me nothing, but a nuisance at best..."

It continued onward, as we then see Jun's uncle, taking the young Kazama away from the household, looking quite desperate... obviously, he was trying to "kidnap" her... while she was fully conscious...

Jun: "...and just a few months later... something drastically changed... the overall atmosphere within the clan became gritty... all harmony, that I previously felt within this sacred place, was gone... as if, at any given moment, something awful would happen... apparently, my uncle, Noburo, felt the same way, as he took me away from my home, guiding me to a boat... from that point onwards, that was the last time, I ever saw my home with my own eyes and I haven't got back there since..."

FLASHBACK ENDS

"Noburo, who had somewhat experience with the more modern lifestyle, taught me the mannerisms of today's society... and that is where the pressure began... he would hit me, should I do something wrong and if I was out for too long, he would give me slaps, many times... and even when I cried, he was no hesitant in hitting me again... his justification for all this, was to show me, that the world is cold, lonely and full of cruelty... especially towards those, who are not made for the outside world... and that what he did, was some sort of "preparation for the worst"... that I should accept, that the world around me, is nothing like the peaceful woods, I grew up in..."

However, the last part disturbed her the most, as she tried her hardest to not cry...

"But one day... it was about that time, where I was 16 and still went to high school, which my uncle was generously still able to finance for me... I came home... only to find Noburo's dead body, laying in the middle of the living room... observing the puddles of blood and the messy state of the room... everything pointed directly at the only logical answer: It was murder... from that point onwards, I became an emotional wreck... with no one to rely on, I was all alone..."

"And the murder of your uncle... let me guess... is that what inspired you to become a police officer and wild life protector?"

She nodded, as she pulled herself together...

"Correct... I may have been lonely and I didn't have any friends, but despite the odds... through hard work and lots of studying, three years later... I finished high school and began pursuing a job as both as a wild life protector and a police officer at Interpol... this last one... it actually happened, because of Lei... he and I encountered one another in the police academy of Hong Kong and he told me, the best way to achieve true justice on a global scale, is to join Interpol... and indeed we did... and when I became 20... I got my very first assignment there... and I am still going strong... well, that was my story..."

Kazuya now began to see, how right she was... he and she, were not so different, after all... both have suffered through the younger ages... with the only difference being, unlike Jun, Kazuya, right after the fall, had to grow up in the wild, ironing out his almost animal like battle instincts and only earning money through all these illegal, underground fighting tournaments, having beat plenty of shady people on the streets of Tokyo and even internationally... he was, in every way, a champ of Karate... but unlike Jun, he never enjoyed the privilege of proper education in school... he had to teach himself the basics, by going regularly to libraries and scoop up his knowledge through books... becoming both an intelligent young man with a masterful talent for martial arts...

"Either way, I'll bet... that path was anything, but a walk in the park on a sunday, huh?"

"Indeed..."

She sighed, as she began to feel down again... as she felt ashamed for having kept this a secret from him...

"Look... I am really sorry about this... you trusted me and instead, I just pushed you away, as if you were a stranger... I didn't mean to be THAT secretive... after all, you selflessly decided to open up to me first... I just tend to be too demanding myself... bad habit..."

While the Mishima felt indeed touched by her story... he found it somewhat cute, that she resisted on making the first step. After all... any novice of human knowledge would realize by then, that she is hesitating too much... her heart would beat out of her chest like crazy, whenever she was around him... that could mean only one thing... she wants to do something more special with him... but lacks the courage to pull it off... so he decides, to drop the "romantic foreplay" and get straight down to business with her...

It starts, with him gently, yet totally out of the blue, grabbing her by the shoulders, before turning her over to leave a really quick kiss on her lips... it was brief, but even so... the reaction was exactly what he expected from her... a clean slap across the cheek, with her blushing a really bright red, looking both confused and flustered... but this only further motivated the Mishima to go all the way with her... he now desires to have some more fun with her...

"Excuse me...?! What was that about...?!"

"Ahhh, we are quite feisty tonight, aren't we?"

"It's not funny, you son of a bastard...! I am not fond of surprises like that and you know it...!"

"Hey now, any novice in human knowledge could detect insecurity within you to make the first step forward... why not thank me instead for giving you more of a push? I am just saying..."

"Wha-"

However, he then realizes... that with her, he may want to go easy on her and give her to understand, how much she actually means to him... he gently grabs both of her shoulders and looks at her with a gentle and caring gaze, focusing all on her eyes... but that was more than enough to sooth her and make her listen to him... as she felt drawn to his warm eyes...

"Listen... I am not a man of words... I am a man of actions... we both had some pretty bumpy roads on our separate ways to success... and I very sincerely, sympathize with you... and it's about time, I confessed something myself... now that you have told me everything, it all stands crystal clear before me... I have met many women, but above all of them... you stood out the most... and it's not just your wits, that attract me... it's your boldness and the will to take risks, with the cost being your life, facing death fearlessly... you saved my life... you treated me equally like the rest... you accepted me, brought me in with open arms..."

He then, very carefully, grabs her hand, lifting it up to showcase... how much she truly means to him... he didn't dare saying it... it spoke for itself... and yet it frustrated him more than needed... he felt like a coward...

"And, umm... well... you know... I can't take my eyes off of you, for even a second... and well... I, umm... grrr..."

However, it was more than enough for her... she starts to smile, before gently nuzzling against Kazuya's forehead, feeling quite happy really... before then gently letting her hands touch his face, getting slowly closer to him, wanting to feel his warmth...

"I know what you want to say, Kazuya... I know... just... let it happen..."

...and it ends with both gazing at one another, with Jun's huge, brown eyes shining along with the moon and the stars... finishing this already perfect night... with a kiss... which slowly turns into a saliva-exchanging one...

Later...

Loud moaning and cooing can be heard within Kazuya's bedroom... the amounts of love, that the Mishima was giving to the young officer, was just too much for her to take... she just yearned for him... both of their otherwise, naked bodies, being covered by the blanket, with Kazuya thrusting in and out of her... almost roughly... exactly, what she wanted, as she wrapped her arms tenderly around his exposed backside...

"Kazuya...! Kazuya...! Please... more...!"

"At your command... "majesty"... anything for you..!"

"Please, don't stop...! I am yours... all yours... ONLY YOURS...!"

The speed of his humping increased, as both of them climaxed simultaneously... with the young Kazama happily embracing her love, as tears of slight pain in between her legs began running down her cheeks... just holding him close, wanting his warmth, as it all that she desires for now... before the two engaged yet again, in one more kiss... eventually giving in to their exhaustion and falling asleep in each other's arms...

But the Mishima forgot to use protection... and he filled her womb, with no condom guarding the two... that... turns out to be their greatest mistake... as she would later give birth to Jin... and by the next day... the emergency kicked in... what was supposed to be a happy ending... shall turn into the greatest nightmare of either of the two...

Somewhere outside... with someone kicking the door open, that lead to the Tekken Force HQ... we see a sinister grin... coming from an old adversary... Heihachi Mishima...

"I'm home..."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. Who Is The Real Predator?

**Chapter 11: Who Is The Real Predator?**

The thunders roar in the distance... with the smoke from all the surrounding volcanoes, filling the sky with an inescapable darkness... with the only source of illuminating light being the running lava, leaking out of the ground, with erosion causing the volcanic rocks to loudly crack in several places... as we see, the young Kazuya, who was currently in his Devil form... being down on one knee, with his purple tuxedo burnt and torn down halfway, completely worn out, facing his worst nightmare, that was standing right before him... his father, Heihachi Mishima, who "miraciously" managed to survive the fall and make it back to full health, just to reclaim what belongs to him... the Mishima Zaibatsu...

The amounts of fury, that the young Mishima was feeling right now, combined with a strong hint of disbelief... his father's mere existence offending him to the core... was simply unimagineable... if anyone were to ask, how he was feeling, the response will be anything, but a positive one... all the hatred, that Kazuya had been bottling up inside himself, saving it up for this very moment, began seeping out... even more so, once he heard a deep, throaty laugh, coming from this bastard of a man...

"Oh, Kazuya... look at yourself... did you honestly believe, that this was enough to kill me? Is that what you really thought? If so... you're an even bigger fool, than I expected."

"Bastard...! I figured as such... you're just as irritating as ever...!"

"How flattering... why don't you just give it up? It's more than apparent, that I have already won... you were only able to win last time, because of sheer luck. By yourself... you are more than worthless. It didn't help, that you made use of your Devil Gene and to be frank... that offends me more than anything else, you honourless swine..."

Being close at the brink of losing for good now, his rage reached a whole new level... he knew, that he cannot afford to lose this... if he does, then the world will be reduced to shatters again... all his hard work would all be for nothing and he could not possibly stand for this...

"How dare you...?! Has anyone ever told you, how much of a nuisance you are...?! Nobody liked your mug before, what makes you think, that this already rotten world would want a son of a bitch like you back in charge...!? I have been trying to take out the trash, that had been gathering up in your cellar... why not show a little gratitude, huh...?! Asshole?! All I was doing, was cleaning up after your garbage... why won't you just retire already and join the league of crippled seniors... old man...?!"

But Heihachi always believed, that he was in the right, even after receiving criticism... he felt like, it was "divine right", that gave him the allowance to do whatever pleases his ego... and he saw no further reason into trying to talk sense to his son... as to him, this person before him, was no longer his son... it was something else... and while the two spoke, he slowly approaches him... with a mocking grin on his face, as his neck starts cracking...

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... is this how you speak with your father... "my son"...? You know of the consequences... should you dare, making use of such foul words in MY presence...! And I don't... take it lightly..."

Now... all that Kazuya felt, was a penetrating feeling, that he had been trying to cover up as best as he could... and that was deep and honest fear... the hopelessness of his situation... in addition to being totally worn from the long battle... and with his father having almost no physical injures, or showcasing any remote sense of fatigue... for once in his life, he felt powerless... it was like fighting a colossus... and yet, he refused to give up, as he remembered his bodyguards and especially, Jun... for who, he was the most worried... what if this man would return to the Mishima Zaibatsu and set his sights on not only his guards, but also her... and deliver a 1st class ticket straight to hell...? The thought made his blood boil even further... the second, he stood up, he screams in fury, spreading his wings to speed right past the elderly Mishima...

"SAY GOODBYE, OLD TIMER...!"

...but just when he thought, that this would knock him clean out... the unexpected happens... with his extremely refined reflexes... Heihachi then catches his transformed son by the horns, before then brutally kneeing him in the stomach, before grabbing his wings... mercilessly ripping them out of his body with such inhumane strength, the blood sprayed everywhere from where his huge wings used to be...

"Hmph, a bird without wings... how appropriate of a metaphor for you..."

"Grrr... augh...!"

The young man coughed up blood, with his now empty wing sockets bleeding quite a lot, it would cause concern... of him dying of blood loss first, before this old martial artist would finish the job... then, what followed, was the old Mishima now holding his off spring by the throat, with his blood running down his knuckle... it was quite the massacre he was causing... and with his rapidly fading strength, Kazuya tries his best to get free, by either punching or kicking this old guy... even though, these desperate attempts at self-defence didn't seem to faze him in the slightest...

"Not with me...! Let go of me...! Let. go...!"

"It's futile... there is no escape for you now... good night!"

...with him the ending it, by headbutting the younger Mishima once... followed by one more... with the last one... actually knocking him out for good, making him turn back to his human form... with that, he dropped his now unconscious son, looking down on his "sleeping" form with a really cruel grin, feeling a great load of satisfaction for having finally done the deed, that would "benefit this world"...

"Sleep tight... "my son"..."

We then see Heihachi, carrying the unconscious body of his off spring, up to the largest volcano of all... then, without another warning... dropping him off... just to be swallowed whole... by the brewing magma... that causes Kazuya to shriek in total agony...

As flashback images flashed by of a weeping Jun, being surrounded by Tekken Force soldiers...

...before escaping with the help of Anna, Bruce and Ganryu, as they fight off the soldiers...

...with Heihachi actually congratulating Lee, for having lured out Kazuya, with the latter smiling almost like a maniac...

...Heihachi sitting back on his throne, smiling in pride, not caring one bit about the fate of his own son...

...with the last one being Jun... having a swollen belly... as she peacefully gazed into the distance... before getting totally disrupted by Devil's red eyes, almost jumpscare-like...

...causing the now middle-aged and revived Kazuya to wake up with a gasp.

Obviously... we have returned back to the presence... as the Kazuya now had a red eye and scars all over his body... at the moment, he was dressed in nothing, but his iconic Karate gear... for whatever reason... he was laying on grassy ground, but as his eyes scanned the area around him from left and right, he realized... he was no longer in the jungle... no, this place... did not seem to be part of the outside world...

"Huh...? That is one hell of a way to wake up... especially in a world, as... odd as this..."

...he slowly got back on his feet, looking around to see, where he exactly was and as it turns out... this place, had the feel of a botanic garden... mixed in with the atmosphere of "heaven" itself... if it even was the best word to describe this whole scenery unfolding before him. It was then, when he realized, he was in his typical Karate outfit with the trademark, red gloves... that was the first among many other signs, that something was anything, BUT right here...

"What in the... what is the meaning of this? I don't recall having taken this along with me... come to think of it, my pants aren't in an acceptable condition anymore, considering how much my father completely roughed them up, back in the 7th tournament... so... how...?"

And as if it wouldn't get any stranger, he began strolling down aimlessly, checking everything out, being prepared for anything that may or may not happen next... one thing is for certain... this world is unlike anything, that the Mishima has seen before with his own eyes... and he could not shake the feeling, that despite the heavenly looks of this place... it also seemed to be in possession of something... sinister...

"Heh, I have no clue what kind of sorcery this is, but I'm pretty sure, the answers lie further ahead. Simple minded idea, but... my predictions are always right, so..."

Suddenly, he felt something land on top of his head... it was so gentle and subtle, if it wasn't for the almost silent sound of wing clapping, he'd have no idea, that something had just taking a landing on his skull... and for some reason, he didn't feel alarmed... and as he raised his arm to see, what just came down on him, he felt it crawling up on his index finger and as he descended his arm back down... he realized... it was a little butterfly, with a pretty colourful and diverse pattern on its wings... normally, animals would always flee, trying their best to get away from him, because of his demonic presence... but this one tiny and innocent bug, did not make any signs in moving, as if it could tell, he may not be as threatening as he always makes himself out to be... and yet, that was the exact thing, that began creeping him out...

"OK... what the hell is all that...? Animals would naturally try their hardest to avoid my presence, why is this butterfly not feeling any remote threat within me? Can... it sense, that I have no intentions in harming it...?"

But it would only get worse... because, as he continued onward with no clear destination... along the way, he'd meet even more animals... next was a deer, than a horse, than two birds, than squirrels and even an owl, which landed on his left shoulder... the Mishima had absolutely no idea, how to react to all this. It may feel nice to be surrounded by these pure gifts of nature itself, but just for the fact, that they didn't show the real kind of reaction he was expecting them to have, upon his mere arrival... he starts to feel uneasy... he stops in his tracks, slowly starting to feel indeed annoyed...

"OK, OK, the party is over! What is going on here? Does anyone... and I can't believe I am asking this you guys... know where I am? Or... what this place- rgh, you get the idea!"

And even with this very apparent threat in his words, they didn't take a hike. They remained by his side, as if they wanted something from him...

"I must be losing my mind here, I am talking to freaking animals...! Well, can you understand me or not? I don't have time all day, just tell me already, or I-"

It was then, when he looked up... and saw someone further ahead, that looked quite a lot like Jun... at least, from the backside... he would recognize that shape of her raven black hair, with that white headband, anywhere... he began calling out to her, clearly showing a slight hint of desperation within his vocal tone...

"Hey Jun! Mind if you lend me a hand here, please?!"

...but the very second, these words escaped his lips... the animals start to look scared, with them starting to shiver with their ears hanging, revealing sincere fear of the moment... which only further added to Kazuya's confusion... why would they feel afraid, just by him mentioning his love's name? There is nobody better than Jun, who would treat the animals with the utmost respect and dignity in stock... she is a nature freak, anywhere she went, the animals would gather around her and lovingly welcome her... instead, he received the warm kind of greeting... nothing made sense anymore...

"I don't get it, why would they be afraid of Jun? If anything, they should fear me more than her and yet, why did I not get tackled down by them upon natural instinct? Hell... Angel is with her... that only adds further to my questions..."

However... a thought then popped up in his mind... and it sent him shivers...

"...wait... was their sudden appearance... some kind of warning...? It's only a concept, that holds no merit, but... I show up, they feel nothing and actually welcome me with open arms... Jun shows up... they refuse to leave my side and stick ever closer to me, as if I am their "protector"... if so, from what...? Could she... have some corpses, buried deep within in her backyard...?"

At last, he gave it up. He didn't want to waste any more time here than necessary, so he began leading the way, right towards Jun... he decides to keep it cool and talk to her, as if they were buddies...

"Hey Jun. Where have you been, you old house? Don't tell me, I did something again to offend you... of course, I like doing that, but wh-"

...in an instant, he realized something... the closer he gets to her... the more the scenery around him, begins to die and become lifeless... with the water around his feet... becoming ever more of a purplish colour... he could sense it, the atmosphere has drastically changed for the worst... but he still refused to believe, that Jun was the cause of all this happening... to showcase his genuine concern, he gently laid a hand on her exposed shoulder... asking her to look him in the eye...

"Jun...?"

Then, totally out of blue, this thing, that appeared to be Jun, scared the ever-living crap out of the Mishima, as it swiftly turned to face him with yellow glowing eyes, revealing to be a nude lady with her breasts and lower body being completely covered in purple, sticky substance... leaving him quite in a temporary state of total paralysis, giving her the opportunity to just send him flying away from herself, with a swift slapping strike from the left... but the slap itself, wouldn't have done anything, so as it turned out, as she slapped him, her hand grew five times in size of her normal one... and of course, not having been prepared for this unpleasant, first "greeting", the Mishima took it straight on... before quickly recovering in mid air and letting his feet rub across the now slimy, yet still somehow, solid floor beneath him... gazing up in shock, what that just was...

"What in the name of-"

...but there was zero point in continuing his line, as he sensed something coming down on him from above and these were huge, sharp spears... all made out of the same slime, that is resting below him... he jumped to the side, before taking a run in circles to avoid the other incoming spears from above his hood... ending up with changing his plans and catching one of them, before they could even touch the ground and throw it back at his attacker...

"Swallow it all down!"

...yet, it proved to be a piece of cake for her to counter, just by using the slime around her, once again, to her advantage, shaping it all up to become a protective shield around her upper body, de-shaping the spear back to its original form and letting it fuse together with the purple goo, once again. That made the middle aged Mishima scoff, before glaring at whoever this was, that had Jun's looks.

"May I be so bold to ask... who you exactly are? I'll admit, my manners were never the best, but I thought it'd be only fair to make acquaintances first and-"

"Just save it, you fool... all that you need to know, is that I am not the person, that you're looking for... quite on the contrary."

"Hmph, I see you do seem to possess quite the attitude... one feature, that I admittedly never came across with her... jokes aside, identify yourself."

This made the creature chuckle in a sinister manner... before then covering her face with one hand, just looking at the Mishima with a psychotic grin, with one eye hidden beneath her goo covered hand...

"Oh, please... is there truly a need to? I thought, you already knew by now... Kazuya Mishima... but since my ego was never inflated as yours, I think, I may need to present to you a reminder from the older times... have you already forgotten, what she had told you about her origins?"

His memory from the youth was a little blurry, but eventually, he figured it out... he remembered Jun mentioning something of "Okami"... he didn't think, there was a possible connection to that term with what was standing right in front of his eye sight... he dared to challenge the impossible and asked...

"Depends... all that sounded out of place for me, was when she was talking about her own clan, the "Okami-Kazamas"... she never went into detail about, why they named themselves that way, and in all honesty, I never wasted too many thoughts on it... but... are you hinting to be... part of them...? I am judging that... just from the piercing gaze of yours... they really seem like the kind of eyes, you would not want to encounter in a forest at noon... just like a starving wolf..."

It actually pleased the monster, that he guessed correctly on the first try... it only made grin even wider, as she then swipes her hair a little with one hand...

"My, so Mishimas really aren't that simple-minded as I thought at first..."

"So you are not denying it, huh? Then... may you explain yourself? Why do you have Jun's appearance? Is there something I need to know, that I have missed this whole time being with her?"

It made her laugh out loud, before smirking in a cruel way, being out for some fresh blood, licking her lips with intent...

"Yes... and to answer your questions... I am indeed, a relic of the Kazamas... I am more than that... I... am that part of Jun's soul, that she had suppressed for so long, but... with you having brought new life to her with your love... and at the same time, making her doubt herself even more, throwing more wood into the blazing flames of her worst fears... you gave me the chance to grow back to old strength again... and fully take control of her... I... am the shadow, that lurks within her subconscious... I... am her personal tormentor, an illness without cure... destined to haunt her, for a lifetime... I... am dread itself..."

She swings her hips in a circle, before throwing a sadistic, wide grin at the Mishima, gazing at him with one hand covering her left eye... with the black, nebulous silhouette of a wolf with golden eyes, showing up right behind her...

"...refer to me as... Okami-Jun."

But all that Kazuya had to say, feeling quite challenged here, was a confident:

"Hehehe, such bravado for someone, who will not stay for long... I don't know what you are, but seeing as you possess my flower's looks... you won't be getting any mercy from me."

Feeling slightly insulted at how little this man actually fears her, considering her entrance, her smirk quickly changed to a piercing glare... with her jumping back, causing a white glow to emanate from the ground...

"All high and mighty... but will you be able to keep that up after seeing this?!"

That was the match, that set Kazuya off, as he saw the white shine reaching his own radius in a circle... with a huge hand suddenly exploding out of the slime, ready to squash him down, as if he was a little fly... because it was so sudden, he had no proper reaction time, thus, he was forced to stay and let the hand strike him... but not being called a Mishima without a reason, bold as he was, he catches the hand with both arms stretched out, pushing against it, growling while doing so...

"So that's your idea of a surprise, huh? Too bad... because now... you only made me more eager to end your suffering!"

His body starts sparking dark blue, as the hand could not hold him down any longer and he ended up freeing himself, before jumping back and running towards the huge pile of slime, sending it flying with his trademark move, Hell Lancer, making it crash land, right on top of Okami-Jun... with her quickly retreating it back to its original shape, before running straight towards the Mishima...

"Not bad... but that was far from the extent of all that I can do... prepare yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah... that's what they all say..."

He then counters her incoming roundhouse kick, just by raising his left wrist... before countering another hit from her, with the two continuing in a struggle of winning the upper hand in the match... suddenly, this unknown creature catches Kazuya off guard, by swiftly disappearing within the slime, showing up right behind him, following it up with her Demon Slayer to get him up into the air, combining it with her Iwato, before then performing her White Heron Dance on the martial artist, with the last hit sending him into a tailspin, further away from herself, giving her far more opportunities to strike...

...but instead of using her usual, physical attacks, she made use of the slime around her again, shooting out two spears from below the spot, where Kazuya had landed, sending him flying and rolling across the floor. It all just added to her amusement at how pathetic he proved to be in her eyes.

"Hahaha! If that wasn't remarkable enough for your tastes as a Mishima... why not try this on for size? It shouldn't be a problem, am I right?"

The unexpected then happened... ruthless as she already proved to be, she then did something totally uncalled for... she descends in her own slime and speeds underneath the ground, as if she was a mole...

Kazuya had already regained his focus by then, but as he looked around, she was nowhere to be seen... he had completely lost sight of her.

"Huh?! Where could she have gone off to now?!"

"I'm right here..."

"What in the-"

...however, she saved up the words for him to respond to that, as she popped right out of the ground, merely inches away from his face, followed by an uppercut of hers that consisted of a backflipping kick right underneath his chin, which sent him up in the air, with her kicking forward to quickly change into her Izumo stance, which gets followed by one jab forward, before sending him flying in a tailspin with the last move having been a swift roundhouse... and of course, the very last hits consisted of her using the slime spears again, only this time, one from underneath the Mishima and the last fell down right on top of him, which, at the very last second, he still managed to catch, before throwing it back at her, angrily heading for his target again... thinking, that that should keep her occupied for enough time for him to start a counter offensive...

And just when he could think about charging in again, she was right before him once more, having used the slime to warp herself right before him, thus also avoiding her own projectile... with him, as some sort of panic move attempt, punching her right in the face... however, that punch hit thin air, as she had lowered herself in the slimy substance to evade it and the Mishima then went for a low kick, targeting her half-sunken upper body, which proved to be one of his least stylish moves... as it resulted in his leg getting caught by her with both arms... making him lose balance and fall flat on his back... with this wolf lady slowly coming out of the purple liquid, with the Mishima realizing, he can't get away, as he found both of his arms and legs, buried deep within the goo, which have taken up a rock solid shape, foiling any of his plans of escaping...

"Grrr... damn it...!"

"What's the matter? Caught up in the spider's web, I see..."

With no means of defence presentable, Kazuya found himself at the mercy of this creature, that appeared to be Jun, as it seemed... then, the ground underneath him lifted him up in the air, turning to a vertical angle, with the motion of a single hand twisting on Okami-Jun's behalf... showing him off as the prey, stuck within a huge pile of rock solid slime, right before her very eyes... she seductively licked her lips, feeling the Mishima's chest, who glared at her, feeling quite grossed out...

"Don't worry... just like a spider... it will just pinch a little..."

...she steps back, with a pale and eyeless mask showing up in front of her face, with it shrieking, as she charged forward, smashing her open palm right into the Mishima's chest, causing him to cough up lots of blood from the amounts of pressure that that one hit held within, as it got released on his body and he felt the goo loosening, as he falls to his knees, still coughing and trying really hard to regain his balance... it was then, when that monster went in for another strike, but Kazuya turns the tide again, by grabbing her arm, that was just trying to hit him and in one swift heel turn, twists her arm to make her fall back first in her own garbage...

Even so, the Karate champion had to back off for a few moments to catch his breath, so he jumps back to gain some extra distance... to which the slime monster, weirdly enough, did not object to... whether it was part of her plan or not, he did not know and did not care. All he needed was a moment to recollect himself... so he hid behind the remains of one of the trees, that once used to be a thriving kind of alive in this sanctuary...

"She is good... really good... she most certainly wasn't kidding about her having quite the arsenal of tricks up her sleeve... if she had any, that is. And one truly commendable thing about her: Her speed is off the charts, my eyes weren't able to keep up for a second. The moment she would disappear in, whatever this stuff is supposed to be and honestly, I don't want to know... it's a guessing game on where she could show up next and take me by surprise..."

He then began smirking, as he realized something...

"...she wants to play this way? Fine, I'll play along then. If she can't be bothered to put up a fair fight, then why should I kneel down and take it like a second rate whore?"

Then, he starts growling, as he balled his fists tightly together, with his muscles tensing up, beginning to pump extra blood through his veins... as a purple mist started emanating around him... before bursting off to reveal something on his forehead... his 3rd eye. He felt quite proud of the idea that had just popped out of his brain.

"Why didn't I think of this before? I am just going to let my 3rd eye do all the work for me of tracking her down... and just when she would expect me to not being able to do anything in retaliation, it's going to get hefty... let's put this to the test, shall we?"

"Oh yes, why not?"

"Aha!"

The moment, he heard the question, he rolls forward to avoid the dropping spear from above and swiftly turns over to gaze back at Okami-Jun, who was fully ready for more action...

"Time's up, by the way. You had your free time and now, it's back to the labour work for you... in hell."

"Oh really? This time, I am afraid... it won't be so easy, now that I will be making use of my specialty. Want a taste of it? I am always open for samples."

"Ah, getting naughty, aren't we...? I am sick of it already...!"

As expected, she dropped back inside her goo, speeding straight for Kazuya... that made his third eye go rampant, as it rolled in circles, scanning everything around him...

"Now then... do your magic."

...he then saw Okami-Jun, just like he predicted, with his additional eye even allowing him a better view of his surroundings, right behind him, ready to stun him with a cheap shot kind of kick in the backside.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

In a swift turn, he blocks the kick and turns the tables, paralyzing the monster, by performing one of his trademark moves, the Demon God Fist, which hits the woman right in the solar plexus... not having been prepared for that outcome, the Okami spirit falls down on one knee, coughing and spitting out blood, making the martial arts champion grin in pure satisfaction, knowing she is about to learn a really important lesson, when it came to messing with his kind.

"You thought, I was out of the game, huh? That my capabilities pale by comparison to yours? Oh, how reality can be so painful... allow me to teach you what happens, if you decide to make someone like me, you greatest enemy. You'll be having a front row seat, dear... for free!"

"How dare you...?! Take this!"

"Oh, not a good idea..."

She then attempted to take advantage of his shining moment of glory, by firing a slime spear at him at close range, but thanks to his devil's eye, even the quickest of moves can be foretold with such ease... and he dodged in style, by sidestepping and speeding forward, before launching the woman up into the air with his most famous move the EWGF, and he repeated that move two more times on her, before then nailing her in mid air with a hook like punch, followed by him sending her into a tailspin with a high roundhouse kick and once she landed a few feet away from him, he charges in and pulls off another one of his famous moves, the Spinning Demon, with a hook like punch from the left sending her flying further away from himself.

She quickly regained her balance though and she starts glaring at this vulgar man, gritting her teeth in distaste...

"You'll pay for this insolence... with your life!"

In a desperate attempt to catch him off guard, the Okami soul digs herself into the ground again, speeding around the Mishima in really quick circles, hoping to confuse him just enough to make him dizzy and then strike... however, she had completely underestimated the ability of Kazuya's third eye... and just when she jumped out of the slime, ready to glomp on him like a wild shark... as cool as he was, he takes one step back and catches Jun by her throat, before headbutting her once, then letting her go and headbutt her again, just to paralyze her again, leaving her wide open.

"Tsk, "you'll pay for this insolence with your life"... yeah, that pretty much sums up my life, if you count my father along with it."

He then catapults her into the air with yet another EWGF, and this time, he also made use of the eye's second ability and that was to shoot lasers and after one having struck the Okami lady, he keeps her in mid air with a single punch forward, before then performing a really swift roundhouse to send her into a tailspin, dashing forward in a ducked position, doing yet another Spinning Demon and Left Hook combo, only this time, the finisher was a little different, as he followed it all up with a Dragon Uppercut, with then grabbing her by the face in the air and smash her back to the ground... and because he hates going easy on people, who gave him bullshit, he humiliates her further and just kicks her away, as if she was ball meant for soccer.

It was clear, that the middle aged Karate champ has gained the upper hand and he was getting fired up for more... the situation was critical and yet, he was clearly excited to continue the fight... especially the thought of him putting this "virus" of Jun in its place, was what actually made his engine roar...

Now... there the two fighters stood, facing each other with intent... with Okami-Jun starting to show clear signs of fatigue already... that could only mean, she hasn't reached her full strength yet and her grip over his love wasn't as tight as he initially feared... which only added to his satisfactory feel... he folded his arms, chuckling to himself, feeling the need to further talk down on whatever that was, that was standing in front of him...

"I see... so all this talk of you being superior to me, was indeed what it was... just talk. And you know something? It would be much healthier for you, to just stay out of mine and Jun's way, while we are already at it. I bet, I am still asleep right now in the real world, so please be so kind... and go to sleep yourself!"

Even she had to admit, that her best cards were played out for the time being... her rage subsided, as she drops her guard and just lets the Mishima do whatever he pleases to...

"Tsk... fine... you've won... but remember, you have NOT seen the last of me!"

"Well then, goodbye!"

The Mishima then performs a stun move, by punching the now weakened monster right in the stomach with a Glorious Demon God Fist, before then grabbing her by the shoulder, headbutting her once, which happened at an angle, that forced her right into the slime, as if his forehead was a hammer and she was the nail, that is being hit right into a plank of wood... with the second headbutt being slightly stronger and the last headbutt being the strongest, causing her entire body to get stuck inside the slime... with the Mishima then jumping back, before knocking her unconscious for good, by charging forward and kicking her across the face... which marked the end of the struggle...

The garden then returned back to its original state, as Kazuya wiped his forehead and sighs in relief...

"Phew... glad that that's over..."

...before then collapsing on his back in exhaustion, yawning out loud, clearly showing how he wasn't ready to wake up yet...

"Maybe... a little nap might never hurt..."

The moment he closed his eyes...

...he reopened them to realize... he was back in the clearing, in which he and Jun had previously settled for the night... the sun wasn't out yet, but... the sky had significantly become brighter... a beautiful, nearly artistic sight... with the stars still shining in the early morning sky...

Still feeling groggy, he slowly raised his naked body up into a sitting position to check his surroundings... the fire had stopped burning, obviously, since he didn't bother putting any effort into making it burn for longer... and because... he had "other" business to take care of... he began rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, before stretching in a delighted and relaxed way...

"Wow... strange way to wake up, honestly... then again... are there any dreams, that are NOT strange...?"

He then felt something move, right beside him and it made him turn his head around to gaze downward... only to realize, Jun was still sleeping ever so peacefully, cuddling herself into her sleeping bag, with her, just like him, being completely exposed of all kinds of clothing, with the sleeping bag barely covering her, otherwise naked body, up... but one thing, that made the outlaw's day already... she was smiling in her sleep... being affirmative, that she most certainly enjoyed his company in there...

"Hmph..."

His manly hormones got the best of him and he felt the need to lean back down, to even sexually tease her in her sleep... and he began by covering her nude, upper back, in very gentle kisses. The touch of his warm lips, in combination with his hands doing their work on her, by caressing her around the lower midriff... it felt like heaven for her, even while she is still deep in her slumber... and sleepy moans escaped her lips, which only gave the Mishima more of a reason to continue. If he was already planning on waking her up, he may as well do it the loving way...

He changes plans, as he wraps his strong arms, firmly, yet without any aggression, around her tummy, holding her closer to give her a bit of his own bodily warmth... and at the same time focusing on kissing her right shoulder, travelling all the way up to her neck, where he teasingly began nibbling on her with his teeth... he could hear her moaning becoming ever louder, before finally stopping for a second to whisper into her ear...

"Hey... sleepyhead... I hate to disturb your beauty sleep, but... wake up. We still have work to do."

And as expected, she starts stirring, before slowly opening her eyes, feeling the back of Kazuya's head against her backside, with her hand, which she turned around him...

"Hmmm... stop it, you... let me sleep already..."

"Ah, so it worked..."

To keep her calm, he just ends up embracing her, to offer her a comfortable wake up call...

...but then, the eyes of the Kazama swiftly opened, with her immediately realizing, who was hugging her and remembering, what had happened the night before. She gasped, and starts thrashing around, escaping the Mishima's loose grip, who was astonished at this really sudden change of demeanor and as he looked up, being quite startled, he gazed upon a panicking, naked Jun, staring back at him with a really shaken up gaze... he couldn't even imagine, what had set her off, as he saw no problems here and yet... he had to know.

"Jun, just... what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Kazuya... please, don't tell me that... we actually did this, last night...! Tell me this is a joke...!"

It was clear to him, that Jun had still not found any peace of mind whatsoever... even with the argument being settled at last, it looks as if it wasn't enough proof for her to be done with it... her doubts are still in control of her emotions... something had to be done and even though it irritated him to no end, he remained considerate and decides to play it safe...

"And... there we go again... for hell's sake, what's going on? What is so wrong about it? All I was doing was cheering you up, getting your high spirits back, you know... what I tried to do before and you were readily accepting it too... so tell me, what's troubling you?"

"Well, there is a ton of things wrong with this, damn it...! I mean... just... how can you remain so calm about our situation...?! It feels as if... as if..."

She then falls to her knees, looking pretty desperate and conflicted... she starts trembling, as she immediately began feeling sincere dread and self hatred... her voice already started to break, as she struggled real hard to contain her tears of shame...

"Just look at myself... here I am, in the middle of nowhere... making out with the same man, that I had doublecrossed a long time ago... right after we had proven time and time again, that we openly hated each other... heh, I am so pathetic...!"

"...say that one more time..."

"Just when I thought, I couldn't sink any lower... right after the quarrels, we make love... as if we had just met... and everything was fine! Can't I get any more revolting, than I already am...?! I feel disgusting... can't you see that?! Of course you can't, who am I kidding anyway... because you don't even possess the ability of feeling ashamed of yourself... I-"

He had had enough. It was time, to put his foot down and finally set everything right. He sat up and crawls over to her, to gently, yet strongly grab her by the shoulders and make her look at him... the serious gaze made it clear: You better not run now, because I won't accept this outcome.

"That's enough, Jun. Enough with the blame game. Now... tell me already... why do you feel this way? Aren't you happy to see me again? Last night, you even confessed having missed my company during my absence... so what's holding you back? There is no sense in hiding it any longer..."

Jun mustered up all her courage, as her eyes travel downwards, feeling more like worthless vermin than ever...

"It's just... I..."

...and once she returned his gaze, two huge tears escaped her eyelids, as she tried her hardest to choke back her sobs, not being able to bear the heartache, that was now seeping out...

"...I am scared. Scared of betraying you again... it felt like bliss, that I was finally able to feel you, just how we used to do in our youth... I felt at ease, like... I had nothing to fear... and yet, at the exact same moment, a thought crossed my mind... of me, letting you down... just like how I did it, when I took on the responsibility of raising my son, all by myself..."

Now, Kazuya began to fully understand and comprehend her sorrows... she was afraid of ending up in the exact same situation, all over again, where she would not put any faith in him and the whole story would repeat itself...

"It's not the fact, that we had made love, that disrupts my thoughts and my heart... it's the haunting feeling of... maybe, me, taking advantage of your situation again... you weren't so popular with many back then and this didn't change to the present day... and because of my position as a police officer... I can't shake off the feeling... of the two of us, possibly ending up, repeating history itself... I want to be with you... but who is to say, that... I'm only lying to myself and I'll have no choice, but to reject you again... because of me choosing the wrong path...?"

"I see... so you're afraid of the results in the aftermath... that you may or may not end up making a decision again, that also involves me being put out of the question like before..."

Jun gives up... she loves Kazuya... but she won't ever forgive herself, should it come down to her being the bad guy again and leaving him behind as the end result... her look became downcast even further, as her eyes closed, awaiting him to hit her and degrade her, as that would make the two even then...

"Hate me, if it sooths you... in the end, I was the core of the problem, right from the start... show me the wrath of your bitterness of a Mishima... that is something you always were good at... let it all out on me, if that is what it takes to make me atone for my crimes..."

Now, she indeed began making a complete fool out of herself... it infuriated him deeply and yet, he could never bring himself to yell at her, since he was the accomplice of the crimes to follow... instead, he pulled himself together and once and for all... shall make the everlasting statement, that she will have to remember... both stood up, with Jun spreading her arms, waiting to get hit by anything from him... the longer he hesitated, the angrier she would get...

"What are you waiting for...?! Punish me...! Beat the life out of me...! Anything...! Just, don't show ANY mercy on garbage like myself...!"

A few moments of silence followed...

...until, the Mishima makes his move, inching forward, with Jun only closing her eyes tightly together, waiting for her humiliation... and then... he swiftly wraps his arms around her nude body, holding her close... to say, she was speechless, would be a gross understatement... even more so, once her ears caught these words...

"No... I can't... you're too pure for this world... and too pure for me."

"..."

"Let me you in on what I have to say... I may have been harsh with my words, I may have said and thought, that I spited you and everyone else involved with your charade... and I may have been cruel... but there is something you need to know... what I show, say or think, is far from representative of how I truly feel about you or the world around me... and you must always remember, no matter what you do... my heart will ALWAYS... belong to you... that's why, don't ever expect me to rob you of your dignity..."

She has been forgiven... the thought of him being merciful with her... it made her forget her sadness and she could not hold back her laughter, mixed in with her sobs and the tears she let go... and she looked at him with a look, that could be described as sad "and" relieved...

"You actually show me mercy... from where do you pull your confidence, that it will be working out this time...? I have got to get me some of that..."

"It's simple..."

He leans in closer to gently press his forehead against hers, a trademark way of his to show his affection... while also smiling at her...

"...because I will never leave your side again. This time... if suffering awaits us, doesn't matter what is might be... we will stand through this as union... and even the affair with our son, will not be forgotten... as I am indeed willing to welcome him back as my own flesh and blood... no need for fear, because we will be going through this... together..."

As he spoke, he raises his arm, opens his palm and hints Jun to raise her arm and do the same... as a sign of their inner connection...

"...as one. That... is my vow to you."

...and a few seconds later, she wipes her eyes, nods cutely in agreement, before letting her open palm come in contact with his...

"...Yes. As one."

...once that happened, their arms then began glowing simultaneously. Kazuya in purple and Jun in golden yellow... as if they had silently signed a contract together as Devil and Angel... and what completed this golden moment... was a kiss between the two... and once they parted, the scarred warrior wanted to know, while smirking in his usual manner.

"Well now... feeling better?"

No longer being frightful and having won back her confidence, all thanks to him, Jun nodded, while showing her ever so angelic smile, once more.

"Absolutely. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Kazuya... and as an added bonus..."

She couldn't help, but giggle innocently and playfully pet the Mishima on the head, at how caring he proved to be... there goes the saying: Tough shell, very soft core. Like pralinées.

"I don't remember you ever having been THIS big of a cinnamon roll, until now... you are an ass, but at the time, you are far off from that."

But Kazuya took slight offence to her kindness and comically pouts, as he looks away with his arms folding together...

"...don't start getting used to it. You are an exception, nobody else shall get the privilege to see this side of me. My reputation would be flushed down the toilet."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep acting all tough, I know too well, it's just an act of yours..."

However, they had to return back to their old plans... and he was the first to mention it.

"Anyways, now that we are fully rested, we need to get on our way again. You do remember, that we didn't come here for vacation. We need to get to Mt. Fuji and pay this temple a "visit", if you know what I mean..."

"Right. We need to get moving... but first..."

Her eyes scanned the area, as she could have sworn to have seen a well somewhere and indeed... there was a spring with a small waterfall, right ahead of where she was standing and an amusing thought crossed her mind.

"...how about going for a dip at the waterfall over there, before we go?"

"Wait, really? Huh?!"

He then felt his hand being dragged forward, with him running right behind his love... even though, he comically began resisting...

"Come on, let's go! If we are already at it at making amends, we might as well go now!"

"Jun, umm...! Wait, I'm... I'm not prepared and I- are you even listening to me, we-"

And thus, having found their way to full strength again and having entirely revived their pact of love together, our two heroes will prepare for their journey to continue... but whatever the weather, neither of the two will face the dangers on their own anymore... the vow the two have given one another, will be carved into memory...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	12. Uncalled Company

**Chapter 12: Uncalled Company**

Kazuya and Jun, having finally made amends between one another, had already set off to continue their journey into the unknown, after they had enjoyed their time, cleansing one and the other at the waterfall. Surprisingly, at the same time, the Mishima had quickly found, how his love, was running ever so easily, ahead of him, as if she hadn't suffered an injury before, which went right through her foot. But as it turns out, it was all thanks to two things: Because of her hidden power, she was able to heal much quicker than any normal human and another contributor to this rapid change of condition, was Kazuya himself. The love he had given to her, the warmth and shelter he had offered her in his arms... all this combined, resulted in a swift and proper recovery. One half of the explanation seemed reasonable... except for the part with the "hidden power", which the Mishima had made one of his top priorities to find out more about it, after having witnessed Angel being in Jun's body.

Meanwhile, both were making their way through the jungle. This time, with the Kazama helping her love for real, carrying the load with him, which he secretly was in need of, because it was simply too much, even for him. Jun knew the urgency of this expedition, but she could not help, but feel like, they were actually going on a trip together, an adventure, just for the sake of reconciling. The thought gave her goosebumps and she cheerfully jogged onward with her lover boy.

"You know something, Kazuya?"

"Hm? What is it?

"I am well aware, that what we are doing here, is part of the job and yet... don't you feel like, this is all so right? Both of us heading straight forward, not afraid of the unknown, just wanting to see what society would never get to see with their own eyes. Know what I mean?"

Kazuya grinned slightly, as he found the thought to be quite amusing, nodding in agreement.

"...hmph, maybe you are not too far off base. Under normal circumstances, nothing would ever bring me to come to a place as humid and uncomfortable as this. And yet, it has a charm to it, that I can't shake off. And we are talking about me, here. Someone who always had a hard time enjoying himself."

He then came to a conclusion, as he let the idea play over and over again in his mind and he grew to understand, why this is case, followed by him gazing at his "muse" with a gentle look.

"But I am guessing this is also because... you are with me. Whenever I am around you, life suddenly becomes a lot less stressful, as if I have no reason to feel threatened. Don't misunderstand it as plain fear though, I am not easy to shake up."

"That's SO you."

She giggled, as she blushed slightly like a shy schoolgirl.

"Oh man, look at us! Barely hours later, we are already back at the part of us gossiping together like boyfriend and girlfriend, as if we are back in high school."

"You won't ever see me complaining about that."

And as they went along, the middle aged Karate champion finally found the perfect time to investigate on his "childhood crush" a little deeper. Before the journey to Mt. Fuji, he had made a vow to find out more about what was going on with Jun, her powers and how she and Angel are basically the same person now. There is no going back now. He had to find out.

Jun most certainly was surprised to witness this sudden change in atmosphere between the two, however, she kind of predicted it too, since her boyfriend has seen and heard some things about her, that were completely new to him.

"Now I believe is the perfect time to question you a little further. Pardon me, if this is so sudden. But now that we are back as partners in crime, I think it's only fair to no longer keep any secrets from each and one of us. You already know most of my story, but now, why won't you spill some beans yourself?"

"Like... what exactly?"

"Remember our fight back in Hong Kong? While we two had a screw loose at one another, I sensed something very, for the lack of a better word, "unusual" within you. I mean, it still had that warm and righteous presence about it and yet, I don't remember you ever having been in possession of such power from the start. And while you used an unknown technique on me to render me unable from moving, I saw it very clearly then..."

His gaze darkened a little, since he was growing slightly suspicious of her. And this suspicion didn't come without a reason, since he demanded some inner confirmation for himself, that what he saw, was not connected to that Okami spirit, that he fought within Jun's subconscious.

"...I saw Angel. This entity that had guarded me from the Devil Gene's influence. Back then, she and Devil sort of shared my body. In a way, I was both Devil, but also partially Angel. And right after my father threw me into the burning pit of magma, both of them must have departed and went separate ways, looking for a new body... which would also explain, why a part of Devil's power lies within Jin, since he saw him fit for the task of vengeance. But Angel, even after I was brought back to life, I could no longer sense her presence. She totally vanished without a trace... and recently, I happen to find her again... right within you. So tell me, what exactly happened between you and her? How come, you two are one and the same now, the same way Devil and I are now one?"

He had every right to question her in this regard and indeed, she owed him some answers, because how much had happened until now. She sighed, before both decided to take a little break now and sat down on a pile of rocks, letting the conversation now flow more composed and relaxed.

"I don't blame you for your suspicion. I knew at one point, you'd be asking this, so yes... allow me to explain. And believe it or not, it's not as complicated as it seems at first, but it's quite the lengthy tale, so buckle up."

FLASHBACK

We see Jun, sitting on her bed, back at her new home in Yakushima, crying her eyes out, as she was still not over the loss of her beloved Kazuya. She had just started to get to know him and now, Heihachi took this happiness from her. She needed support, but she could not afford to let anyone else get involved with her problems. So she refused to inform Lei about it and instead decided to remain quiet about it.

And all things took a turn for the worse, as Devil himself, in the form of a purple glowing ghost, appeared right in front of her, trying to forcefully grab her... by the uterus. His intentions weren't clear yet, until Jun realized something.

Jun: "Right after your father took control over the Mishima Zaibatsu again, I went into seclusion and hid from the chaos. You can only imagine how much my heart was still aching to know, you are no longer with me. And if it wasn't bad enough, somehow it got even worse, as your other half, Devil, appeared right before me in the shape of a purple mist and suddenly began grabbing me right in between my legs. I simply didn't know how to react to it. I tried to defend myself, but it was no use with how much control he had over me and then I began feeling a burning pain, as if he was igniting me from the inside out, through my pelvis. I thought I was going to die, I was so scared..."

Everything got interrupted though by another being, that showed its face in the room. A glowing, golden light engulfed the entire bedroom with Devil then fleeing through the window, trying to make a final effort of escape from whatever had just saved Jun's life. That golden orb then takes shape, what would soon be introduced to Jun, as Angel herself.

Jun: "...until she came."

Kazuya: "That was Angel, right?"

Jun: "Yes. It's all thanks to her, that I was able to prevent Devil from doing, whatever he was planning in that moment. And that was not all."

We see her gently touching Jun's tummy, with a golden light engulfing both of them. She didn't understand yet, what was going on her, until Angel explained it to her. And as it turns out... Jun was pregnant. And what she had done just now, was blessing the still to be born Jin, with a fraction of her protective power, that shall guide and protect him, should the worst occur. Because either way, Jin was still Kazuya's son, which meant the Devil Gene will be "reborn" with him and Devil was just trying to awaken this ominous power, right before the reincarnation would even fully take shape, once Jin is grown up. Of course, the young Jun was truly in shock. She just had no idea how to feel. Happy? Scared? Insecure? On one hand, she was really glad to have something, that shall always remind her of her strong bond, that she had formed with the Mishima. But on the other, she feared that this may make her a target for the future, that she might get unlucky one day and someone would want to abuse her son later as vessel for god knows what.

Jun: "It was through her, that I had to find out, I became pregnant through you. Back then, I was both overjoyed and really frightened at the same time and you can already think of a reason why. Luckily, Angel was willing to watch over me, because she sensed, that I may be facing quite the difficulties in the near future, so she'd grace me with fortune... so aside from me having kind of broken our promise, by me not being very honest with my Jin, throughout the course of his young life about you and his true origins, I was still able to offer my son a happy, if not, a little more distant kind of life. Right up until his 15th birthday."

Her worst fears became a reality, as we witness Ogre arriving, landing right in front of their house, with glowing eyes, ready to wreck havoc. We then see both mother and son, trying their best to resist against this monster... however, it resulted in both ending up in pretty bad shape, as they weren't able to overcome the might of their unwanted visitor and in the burning inferno, inside their four walls, Jun grabbed her son by the neck, only to then throw him out of the window to save him, as their home had begun crumbling... until, Jun charged at the monster, disappearing within the explosion... with Teen Jin running away into the woods, fearing that he had lost his mother for real.

Jun: "Ogre's arrival, admittedly, was not too much of a surprise to me, knowing in what kind of trouble I got myself into, getting involved with a family as questionable as yours. That was also the reason, why I decided to teach Jin my fighting style. I wanted him to be prepared. And during the battle with Ogre, he showed off a lot of the progress he has made over the years with me... looking back and reflecting upon it, he made me so proud. Even in the face of death itself, it made me so, very happy to see the fruits of his training. But despite this, not even I was able to stop this abnormality from nearly killing my most precious treasure of all. Neither me, nor Jin could beat this guy and the bleaker it became, I made one final decision: I threw him out, making him go seek for Heihachi, while I took care of Ogre alone."

Her voice sank though significantly, as she obviously, really, REALLY regretted that decision, all good intentions aside. And to this day, she is still beating herself up over it, of how foolish it was of her to put all her faith in this old Mishima, who previously stole, what she began treasuring the most, away from her. Her love, Kazuya, who agreed full-heartedly with her regretful decision: It was dumb and without any thought having been put into it.

Jun: "And, with me having made my son go and look for his grandfather, I don't think I need to tell you, how much of a moronic plan that was in hindsight."

Kazuya: "Hate to say this, but that was indeed irresponsible of you, of all the things you have done. It was such a colossal waste. You knew what kind of person my old man was and yet you completely disregarded the warning signals. And as naive as I grew to know you in that regard, you possibly began thinking "he could have redeemed himself somehow, with the age slowly getting to him"... oh, how wrong you were, my dear. How wrong. And it's just like I said twenty years ago: Being too much of a well-meaning person, can really, be your own doom."

Jun: "In fact, you are right. I did indeed begin thinking, that Heihachi could have seen the errors of his way and that he would never have the nerve be cruel enough to harm his own grandson. Though, in the process, I completely forgot about what he had done to you and the circumstances surrounding the case of how it actually happened. And there you go: Years later I had to find out, Jin got almost killed by his grandfather, merely by a pistol shot in the skull. So much for my firm belief in "benefit of the doubt", huh? Even more so, once I found out, that it was him who had summoned Ogre to begin with and thus make him the one, who literally brought hell upon all of us."

However, she had to get back on track. And rightfully so, because it gets juicy.

Jun: "Anyhow, like I said, I sent Jin away to look for Heihachi, who should be able to house him and continue from where I left of with his educational upbringing. And I myself, did not survive the fight with this beast, who flew away, leaving my burnt corpse in the wreckage of my own house. I was dead, my legacy has ended here, I am now only a small foot note..."

Her voice then lightened up, as she withheld a huge surprise for the Mishima.

Jun: "...so I thought. But I was wrong. I had already settled to accept my fate of being no longer among the living, until... Angel returned to me. I had no idea why she would even bother, considering how I broke our contract, by hiding my baby's true origins from him. But because I selflessly sacrificed myself to rescue him from Ogre, she returned to bring about another blessing for me: She brought me back to life. But it didn't happen as you would expect."

Jun, as a spirit, is seen, hugging Angel with the two smiling together, when suddenly, a bright explosion of light came bursting out and once it relinquished, Angel was gone and yet, she was still present... she and Jun actually fused together. It can be seen, as we see her having grown large, white, almost silver shining wings, like that of Angel herself, with also her blue irises being visible through her normally brown ones.

Jun: "To bring me back to life, she was actually willing to become one with me. A part of my soul was lost, after my passing, so she took on the task of completing the otherwise "empty" half of myself, to make sure, that I also remain the same person as I was before. With all of my memories still in tact of who I am, where I come from and what my relations are. In the end, this fusion with her did really save my life and I owe so much to her. Similar to how much you owe to Devil for having revived you likewise."

FLASHBACK ENDS

The Mishima folded his arms, as he had to chuckle at her story of how she attained Angel's powers. He found it very ironic to know, the woman, who he wanted to previously devote his entire life to in his youth, is now in the exact same mental boat with him. Both should be deceased under normal means and yet "god" must have given them a gift, in the form of a fateful resurrection.

"Oh, how the irony can be so striking. Now we are even."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I should be dead. You should be dead. And yet we are still here. Very much alive. And what I meant by "even", I was referring to the fact of how both of us barely escaped the bloody scythe of Mr. Death himself by a hair and managed to live long enough to be talking about it, as if it happened just yesterday. Geez... never realized how unpredictable life can be. Let alone being brought back to life by something, not even made by human kind."

"Well, to be fair, the Devil and Angel exist, because we humans believe in both of them, much like we all believe, there will be either hell or heaven awaiting us after our passing. So I wouldn't be so sure of it being NOT a product of mankind, as it is indeed a manifestation of what we all believe in."

"You and your believes... I wish I could be as enthusiastic about it as you."

However, he then wanted to know something that he happened to notice, now having heard the whole story and being aware, of how his love got a ticket for a safe return among the living.

"Come to think of it, what did you exactly do, after you and Angel fused together? Why didn't you interrupt my father's sinister plans of not only harnessing Ogre's power as his own and even stop him from backstabbing Jin?"

"You need to realize something here. I didn't get revived, immediately after my son ran away to go look for Heihachi. It took days, if not weeks. I can't recall the precise time span and how can I? I was dead. But the point is, and Angel confirmed it to me, it took time and not only this. I still believed at the time, even with Angel at my disposal, my son will be fine around him and so, I started focusing more on myself. I realized, I needed to train to become stronger, just so I can return to the human world one day and save it from total destruction. I was too weak, I couldn't even beat Ogre. That very fact shamed me. My other reason for fusing with your angelic counterpart, was to harness her power and becoming able to fully use it for the right cause. It was my duty. I owed it not only to myself, but also to my son and everyone else, that is potentially in danger..."

He had to scoff though, once again, being shocked at how naive she really was, albeit being slightly upset himself.

"Well, what a plan, am I right? Too bad it all backfired on you. Because either way, the world still succumbed to disarray and Jin ended up almost like me. So your assistance came a little too late. Although, I must admit, I played quite the part in this too. Since I was so obsessed with the idea of ridding the world of trash like my father, I started to grow apathetic to how many death sentences my orders contained. So there you have it."

Ashamed as she was in fact, she closed her eyes and nodded affirmatively, being aware of her own wrongs.

"And yes. I am not going to deny my responsibility here. Everything might have turned slightly for the better, if I wasn't so caught up in the idea of trusting your father. Arrogance can bring downfall... but being naive is even worse."

She then gazes at him, once more, in a concerned way, only this time, she was smiling in an upset way, feeling quite like the idiot right now.

"What a mother I am, huh? I was such a fool... now do you see why I am so hesitant about mine, no, OUR pride and joy? Because of my stupidity, the dominoes began to fall. And not in the right direction, that is for certain. I may be thankful that Angel has given me a second chance for redemption, but honestly, as everything stands right now... I just don't know."

It was getting slowly irritating to the Mishima at how she was still beating herself up, not only in his regard, but also in regards to their son. What she did was far from smart, but in the moment of desperation, that can cause quite the mental pressure on oneself on what to do, just to guarantee the safety of someone you care a lot for. So he sympathizes with her, since he had to make a similar decision, back at the 2nd tournament. Now, he felt closer to her than ever before.

However he realized, that they cannot waste too much time on how to "fix" what has already happened, so he went over, helped her up and puts a hand, gently on her cheek, having absolutely no regrets anymore. But they had to get on their way, before it gets too dark, so a little haste does not hurt right now.

"Hey now, we have talked about this before, haven't we? You trip, I catch you. We both fight together, we fall together. How about this? Once this whole case is over and done with, why not set course to go and look for Jin?"

Her heart jumped, when he said that.

"Wait, what?! Are you sure, it will be fine? I mean, it's not like he is trusting you anytime soon. I cannot even begin to imagine of how he would react, if he was to see you right at my side."

"You played your part in repairing our relationship, so now it's time for me, to also start repairing something and first things first: Fixing my relationship with Jin. I may not have an idea on how to be a proper father, but one thing is for sure to 100%... you won't ever witness me dropping him off cliffs, down into volcanoes or shooting a bullet in between his eyes."

Having said that, there was a little silence... until, both slowly began erupting into genuine laughter, as this was truly one thing, that differentiates Kazuya from his father, most definitely. That really helped easing the otherwise tense atmosphere up, because Jun was in high spirits again. Sometimes, a laugh is all it takes to do wonders.

"OK, that one really caught me off guard. Thanks for that. And before you ask, I do feel better now. Thanks."

"And don't you worry, should Jin become obnoxious, hohoho."

He comically starts grinning in a fake cruel manner, cracking his knuckles, surprising and scaring the hell out of the middle aged police officer, before laughing out loud and becoming real with her.

"I am going to have so much fun getting to know him more, if you know what I mean. Good manners are Number 1 priority after all. No, but in all seriousness, don't you worry. We will make this work somehow. Difficulties are to be expected, but in the end, not doing anything is far worse than staying silent. So here you have it. Well, ready to go?"

"Yeah. And once again, thank you for cheering me up. You seem to be a hidden master in this kind of spectrum."

"Hey, much like a certain, silver haired gentleman, there was always one thing we agreed on, despite our resentment towards one and the other: Women are to be treated with respect and if they end up shedding something shiny out of their eyelids, the supportive instinct has to kick in."

"Oh, what a gentleman. Maybe next time, you may want to-"

She was comically about to make an offer to slightly take advantage of his kindness, by letting him massage her somewhere, but he immediately recognized her scheme and denied it.

"Nope, not going to happen. I'd rather advise you to not lean against me too much."

"Ugh."

She childishly pouted, looking away with her arms folded.

"And you call yourself a gentleman?"

"I am not that easy. Someone has to keep you grounded too. So don't get way over your head here."

"Fine, whatever..."

And thus, both continued making their way through the jungle and sure enough, after a while of wandering, both reached a bus station called Shojiko, one of the few bus stations that lead the way to Mt. Fuji. They decided to spare themselves the whole way on foot and went for the option of getting on the ride to get to the mountain much quicker. Both waited and once the bus arrived, they paid the fare and headed straight for a cottage to get some more rest there, as it was getting dark and their legs were really starting to give up on them. Once they arrived and loaded off their stuff, paying to stay for only night, without any further questions asked, they bought themselves some food from one of the nearby stores, then took individually a shower to freshen up again and decided to call it for a day and get some sleep.

Both were dressed in fine and silky kimonos... and even though, Jun was accustomed to this, it felt unusual to the Mishima, as it has been a very long time, ever since he last wore a legit kimono and that was back in his young days. Either way, he wasn't complaining, as it felt so good to be off of these slightly rotten and overused clothes, that he has been wearing for most of the journey and even back in Hong Kong. Their futon was already prepared for them and it just went on from here, as the Kazama cuddled up close under the blanket, with the Mishima even granting her access to lay on top of him, using him as sort of body pillow. It didn't take long, until both were fast asleep... with even Kazuya showing a peaceful grin on his lips, feeling quite accomplished.

But their peaceful sleep would not last for long, as the panicked screams from the outside, followed up by the multiple shots from a machinegun, is what abruptly ripped them out of their slumber. Both of them, especially Kazuya, became alarmed.

"Jun, did you hear that?!"

"Yes. It sounded like gunfire... what's going on?!"

Then, they heard loud and forceful knocking on the door. So both decided to check out, who was disturbing theirs and the locals' night's rest, with Jun right behind her lover.

"I got your back!"

"M-hm."

And just to make sure, they are prepared for the worst, both brought along Kazuya's rifle and Jun's officer pistol. However, once they got into the Foyer, they find the old owner of the cottage, who was reduced to a bleeding corpse with open eyes. The door was forcefully kicked open, which only meant, the troublemakers were already inside the house. Kazuya gazed over to Jun, giving her handsigns that meant, that they need to split up and go look for the disturbances and should something happen, either him or her, must scream as loud as possible, so that the other can be alarmed to get in and help out.

Both nodded in approval, before splitting paths. Kazuya went around to check the cottage on the ground floor, while Jun went up to check upon the rooms on the 1st floor. And soon enough, as Kazuya checked through the rooms, he found himself being ambushed by two soldiers from behind, who press their pistols against the back of his skull.

Soldier #1: "Hey, old man. Drop your rifle. Now."

Soldier #2: "You heard him. Put it down. You don't want to get hurt, now do you?"

He remained cool and dropped the rifle, just like he was told, before being told to turn around with his hands behind his head, as this is meant to be a "righteous execution".

Soldier #1: "Now then, old timer. Ready to speak your last wishes before we kill you?"

Soldier #2: "Our chief demands, that no one should be left alive to tell about this. Be kind and submit to us."

However, just when they let their guns click, Kazuya began to grin... and just when they fired their shots... he very quickly, catches all of their bullets, with just his right hand, making them use up all of their ammunition, with the two soldiers staring in terror, as they tried to fire at him again, but it was no use. They had no ammo left, which only further served to the amusement of the Mishima, who was slowly approaching them with his knuckles cracking.

"I am sorry, my fellows. But I don't take such cowardly acts so kindly. And for that, I will have no choice, but to end your suffering. A fatal mistake, my friends."

Both screamed in terror, before their screams stopped and loud snapping of bones was heard, which meant he broke their spines, with a knee strike against each of their backs.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Jun was seen, totally surrounded by three soldiers, who point their rifles at her, making her drop her pistol...

Soldier #3: "Hey guys, how about being a little nicer here and relieve this woman of her life, much quicker and more painless than what we usually do?"

Soldier #4: "Don't worry, baby. It will be over, before you know it."

"Garbage like you is what makes society so rotten from the inside. You are making me physically ill...!"

Soldier #5: "Shut up! Who gave you the right to talk, bitch?! Get down low and expect a clean load of juice... from my gun!"

However, she had to grin herself.

"I'd rather not do that, if I were you..."

The three began a gangbang of rifle fire on her... which was so intense, it caused dust to be whirled up and once the dust settled, they realized, Jun was harmed by it one bit, since she made use of her angelic wings to deflect the bullets and shoot them right back at them, piercing right through their most vital organs and thus, all three collapsed, dead by their own stupidity, with Jun retreating her wings again, shaking her head in disapproval.

"I am no fan of killing... but... who actually listens, is clearly at an advantage."

Not too long after, she and Kazuya reunite downstairs, being glad that they actually survived this, after they had found no more of these troublemakers in their cottage, especially with no harm done to themselves. She jumps into his arms and both chuckled, being happy, that they managed to get out of this without a single scratch on them. But it had to be said on her behalf.

"Looks like even you were able to handle these tricky snakes, huh?"

"Of course. Although, I am not fond of putting someone out of its misery like this. Someone with my power, needs to respect life and how valuable it can be to many. So don't think for a moment that I enjoyed doing that, as if I had taking a liking to it."

"I understand. Your well meaning nature has always rubbed me the right way anyway. Even with me finding it slightly troublesome."

The atmosphere quickly changed however, since both had checked out the uniforms of these fighters and Kazuya even has taken the hat from one of the thugs, who had ambushed him. The symbol, was a skull, with a thunder sign on its forehead and wings of that of an angel. There was no doubt anymore, who planned this attack.

"And by the way, curious who attacked us just now? Shadaloo."

"Shadaloo?! Isn't that the organization, led by M. Bison himself?"

"Yes, the one and only. They have been a major pain in the neck to me before, during the global conflict between me and Jin. But now it seems their leader must have returned from retirement, because he is back up to no good once more, if he is going to "ever so warmly" greet us like this."

"I can't believe it."

"...Hey! Get down!"

However they had to experience a rude awakening... as it turns out, the ambush was far from over and done with, as they heard really loud machine gun fire from outside and both were forced to duck down and dodge the projectiles, as the gunner was secretly targeting their position from within.

"What was that...?!"

"Take a look outside!"

The Mishima pointed out in the open and both watched in horror, realizing what exactly had just fired at them. A machinegun truck with a 50 caliber machinegun on board, hot and loaded, with the gunner laughing out loud at the havoc he is causing.

Gunner: "Haha! Oh man, who would have thought, controlling a baby like this would be so fucking good?! Hahaha! And it pays my bills, that's the kicker!"

And once he saw the reunited couple leaving their own boundaries, he immediately turned his weapon over to focus on them, threatening them, to which they responded with deadly serious glares.

Gunner: "Hey now! You two! Don't come closer, or you'll be turned into swiss cheese! My baby girl here is ready to rock and I am not afraid to use it! Be smart and stay out of this."

Kazuya was the first to drop the facade, as he had a plan, so he began to smirk, confident that this plan will work. He even nods to Jun, who immediately understood, what he was plotting. And either way, the Mishima just found his taunt to be nothing short of empty words and thus, he dared to get in even closer.

"Oh, if so, may I please take a closer look, sir? I love the aesthetic-"

Gunner: "I am warnin' ya! I am serious! Any closer and you will be a corpse, before you know it! We from Shadaloo never leave corpses behind!"

He was growing nervous. As expected, all talk and no crown jewels in the bag. It gave the middle aged Karate champion even more reason to approach the latter with no care whatsoever, playing it all cool.

"My, my, this design is truly fascinating. I love how its build, may you allow me a deeper inspection on it, pretty please? I am a gun enthusiast. No reason to feel alarmed."

He turned his head to wink at Jun, making her smile in a cute way, because she has not only found his winks the most charming, it was a signal to get ready and showcase the capabilities of her Angel Gene. She gets ready to jump forward. And the man behind the gun, once again, showcases signs of severe nervous disorders, with Kazuya not feeling a tiny bit intimidated by his weapon, being the main cause of that.

Gunner: "Dude...! Are you nuts...?! Get back! Unless you want to die!"

"Oh, it's no big deal. Chill out."

Gunner: "Stay back! Stay back!"

"Why so scared? I am not someone to bite..."

Gunner: "STAY BACK!"

He then fires his machinegun real rapidly at him, with Kazuya yelling in time.

"NOW!"

"Right!"

And just at the right time, Jun appears right in front of him using her angelic wings as sort of protective barrier to let all the tiny bullets deflect away from the pair, with Kazuya giving her a thumbs up. The soldier was horrified and so told his comrades to come out and shoot their rifles at them too, but it was to no avail. Jun's wings just cannot be harmed by any remote form of projectile and it resulted in all of them using up their ammo and just when the man behind the machinegun was about to reload... suddenly, he felt his gun stiffen up, it was locked down from moving and once he wanted to fire at them with the barrier gone around the couple, the big gun was jammed. But it was all because Kazuya, now in his Devil form, has grabbed the tip of the machinegun to twist it to left, so that his baby cannot fire anymore, with a massive dent in its shape at the tip. The gunner then pulled his pistol, ready to shoot at the Mishima, still shivering in fear to properly react though and this only added to Kazuya's amusement.

"I told you, I don't bite. I can do something way worse than that though."

It was the end. Devil began firing a massive beam out of his forehead, right through the truck, causing a massive explosion, that took the soldiers along with them, with the Mishima turning back to normal himself, shrugging.

"What nuisance. I clearly stated, I am no threat and yet they still fired at me. What cowards, am I right?"

"It's not very often, that I agree with you in that regard."

Both saved the small village at last, but it was still a mystery for them, as of what these Shadaloo troops are really after, around here. What is it that they seek?

Both returned to the cottage to talk about this some more.

Kazuya was the most troubled about this.

"Just what is all this all about? I have never seen the Shadaloo troops this agitated before. It's as if they have done something, that no one is supposed to know about."

"Yeah, it's really fishy indeed. I have heard of their lines of criminal acts before and most of the time, it was reported as "mere collateral damage" with no specific targets in particular. Much like what you would generally expect from a bunch of lowlife terrorists. By this point in time, nobody expects them to come to reason and yet look at those soldiers we have encountered moments ago. Why would they target this village and kill of what is left of the inhabitants?"

"Could they be wanting to get rid of any remote sense of revulsion or resistance for the future? If that's the case, why here? What are they after?"

A silence kicked in and both soon came to a shocking conclusion. It may be a hunch, but knowing Shadaloo and their leader, his attentions are way too obvious to predict. Jun was the first to speak up.

"Can it be, that he might be after what we two are already looking for?!"

"You mean, the Hachijo temple on Mt. Fuji?"

"Not only the temple. Remember what you told me? You said, that some mysterious force lies within that temple and that it was apparently calling for you. It's more than obvious, what Bison might be trying to do here. He may want to claim that power all for himself!"

"And because this same power appears to be the source of all the murders... it's still only a theory, but we cannot ignore it."

Both stood up, having made up their mind.

"It's a race against the clock from now on, Jun. We have to get to the temple and find the source, before Shadaloo does."

"Agreed. It's do or die. If they are able to dig up the power before us, we are done for. Let's go."

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, close to the tip of Mt. Fuji, outside the cave of the Hachijo Temple Grounds...

Two helicopters with the Shadaloo emblem on the doors, slowly descend down to be greeted by a small troop of armed soldiers, who await, whoever was now making its way out of the chopper... this truly evil and ice cold grin on his face spoke volumes by itself, the broad and muscular form, the red military uniform... there is only one man like this and it was no other, than... M. Bison. The second he stepped out, every soldier immediately went with the typical military fashion kind of greeting.

"Hehehehe... very nice. This temple is now officially in our control. These fools. Did they really think, they could stop us? Any kind of resistance, deserves the treatment of either absolute oppression... or annihilation."

Soldier #1: "Sir. The area is now secure. No more guards of the temple in bound! You are free to enter."

"Well done, soldier. Now that nothing shall stand in our way to acclaim the power, that lies deep within the reaches of this underground temple..."

He then claps his hands loudly together, two times, calling out for someone, that was still in the chopper.

"Doll! It's your turn!"

And out of the helicopter, jumps out a woman, that was dressed in all marine blue, with white, long braid pigtails, wearing a small, orange tie, red, metallic gauntlets and a metallic mask with three neon pink lines.

The young woman stepped forth and faced M. Bison, with her face obscured by the mask, which only pleased the dark emperor.

"Decapre. Be a good girl and go right on ahead to loosen up the seal. And should resistance reveal itself, yet again, in the shadows, exterminate all of them. Nobody is leaving her alive."

"Yes sir. Right on my way."

And with that, she runs inside the cave to get to the temple with Bison slowly turning around, smirking to himself.

"Akuma. I know of your ties to the Hachijos. You cannot fool my eyes. Your power seems to be coming from here... and once we encounter, I want to see you trying to fight me off then. It will be a great pleasure to destroy you with the very same power that you possess and intend to use against me. Hahahaha..."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	13. Clash Of Titans

**Chapter 13: Clash Of Titans**

Both Kazuya and Jun, making smartly use of their wings to get on much faster with their journey to get to Mt. Fuji, sped forward, having a sinister suspicion, that they might be already too late. So they hasted forward with the loud clapping of their huge wings filling the air. Since the dawn hasn't reached its peak yet, in the protective hide of the night, they were able to proceed with their plan without any sightings from outsiders.

It wasn't long, until they reached the burning mountain and they began going in quick circles around it, in hopes of soon sighting the temple from high up above. But fortune was not generous with them, until... they got on a lower altitude and they sighted choppers, passing right below them.

"Look! Where are these helicopters heading to?"

"Let's follow them, they might lead us to the temple."

"Right."

And thus, they did, without causing too much noise, just to not be detected and to be safe, they even go slightly above the clouds for further protection and sure enough... they soon noticed the chopper descending down towards an open, blank, yet broad space, that looked like a platform. And right next to it, was the entrance, that led inside the mountain... with the emblem of the Hachijos above the entrance.

"This is it! This is the temple of my mother's forefathers! We are finally here."

"Watch out, take a closer look below."

Both were quick to notice, the entrance was just riddled with Shadaloo guards, making it impossible to get through without catching their attention. Their worst fear has taken shape, right before their very eyes and it outraged the Mishima.

"This human assembly of toxic waste...!"

"We are too late... it can't be...!"

"Oh, they are so not going to get away with this! If it's a conflict they are looking for, I will give them one! These fools back at the village were mere distractions to waste our time! I knew it was a bad idea to rest there for the night!"

"Calm down, alright? What are the chances, they haven't found the power yet?"

"Look Jun, it doesn't matter anymore! They caught us in the right pickle. It's only going to get more difficult from here on out, if we waste anymore time! Either way... let's start the party!"

He speeds down, ready to bash his head in and shoot his laser at them, with Jun becoming quickly impatient with him.

"Kazuya! Grrr! One of these days, this musclehead attitude of his is going to get him cruzified...!"

So she followed after to assist in the assault and so both began charging up their forehead beams, firing at the soldiers with far-reaching rifles to become able of landing without any unnecessary scratches mid-flight. And right when they landed, both covered themselves in their own wings to be protected from the hilltop gunners from above. Both were forced once again to fire their forehead beams at the soldiers from above and right before them to get some clearance on their path. It most certainly was not the right time to be engaging in close physical combat, as long as they are making use of their guns, so they went with the defensive kind of warfare.

Soon, the soldiers went out of ammo, so they had to reload and in that very moment, this gave the two the opportunity to finally drop their "shields" and went in on the offensive. Kazuya jumps forward to grab a Shadaloo guard by the throat, before throwing the latter high up into the air, impaling him with his forehead laser, before then following it up with another soldier. This time, he hits the rifle away from his enemy's grip, before starting to beat him up, punching him three times in the face, doing two roundhouse kicks, before punching the guy across the face to make him fly straight against the wall, until grabbing his reserve pistol, which had dropped out of his pocket, giving him two shots through the chest to finish him off.

Meanwhile, Jun was busy dealing with a guy, that had already reloaded his rifle and just when he was about to shoot at her, everything goes into slow motion and Jun approaches him very quickly in a ducked position to avoid his bullets, before flying high up into the air with his face being tugged in her hand's grip, following it up, by crashing back down with him, knocking him out, once the two landed back on the ground together. She quickly turned around to guard herself, once again, with her wings, from one of the soldiers, who has tried to fire at her right from the backside. She runs straight towards him, with her wings still protecting her from the small projectiles, before then breaking it for a second to get in and beat the latter up, doing three very well-timed flat palm strikes against his three vital spots on his upper body to stun him, before ending it with a backward elbow hit in the solar plexus.

Back with Kazuya. Yet another soldier was done reloading and he was already firing his machinegun rifle at him with his wings serving as the shield, like always. But this time, he found himself cornered as one more soldier surprise attacked him from behind, stabbing his small knife, right into his backside, causing the barrier to disappear for a brief moment, leaving him wide open... but he was still quick enough to react and duck low to avoid the rifle shots, before stealing the reserve pistol from the Shadaloo fighter behind him, delivering five shoots through his stomach, before using him as cannon fodder for the machinegun wielder, to waste all his shots on his comrade, which Kazuya took advantage of again, as he took the initiative to shoot the culprit three times in the head with his other two buddies right next to him.

"Two can play at this game, you know!"

And with Jun, it wasn't much different with the struggle. Outside, she was busy, knocking the four remaining guards out, as swift and unexpected as possible to not cause too much harm to them and it's all done, by quickly teleporting left and right, to dodge the bullets, before ending up very close to their face, grabbing their weapons, resulting in her either kicking or hitting them away from their grip or her simply using them against themselves, letting the tips hit them straight in the face, as if they had just stepped on a staff. But one guy, catches her off guard, right after she knocked out another one. He first hits her in the backside with the grip of his rifle to knock her down and then pull her brutally up by the hair, pressing his pistol, right against the back of her skull.

Soldier #1: "Sweet thing... are you ready to die?"

"No...! Let me go...!"

She resisted as best as she could, trying to let her wings blow him away from herself. But unfortunately for her, he saw right through her plan and went in to kick her in backside to make her trip forward to lay on her tummy, before brutally pressing his boots against the roots of her wings to render them useless, making her cry out in agony, before then, getting lower to pull her up by her raven black hair like before.

Soldier #1: "That won't work, babe! Not with me!"

"Agh! Ugh!"

Soldier #1: "Seems like your angel powers aren't so special after all... you're still vulnerable as ever, even with some extra fire power and wings. Ha! Well then..."

He bends forward to silence her with his gloved hand over her mouth, before licking his lips, playing around with his pistol, which he had just drawn out of his side pocket, by pressing it against her cheek, before stuffing the whole tip in her mouth, making her groan in pain with tears running down her cheeks with how much of the pain she had to endure from that one man.

Soldier #1: "I bet, you'll love a big shot down your throat, eh? How about it, sweetie? It will be quick, promise."

Right when he thought, he was victorious, a laser shot was heard and we see... a hole, being shot right through his side and we see his inner organs, with his eyes rolling back into the soldier's head, dropping the pistol and falling to the side, letting the Kazama finally roam free. Of course, the beam came from no other than Kazuya, who turns back to normal, just like Jun, who was panting in exhaustion from the pressure she got to feel beforehand with her lover speeding over to help her up.

"Jun, are you alright?"

"Yes... thank you, honey... I owe you big time..."

He gently grabbed both of her hands to lift her up to get back on her feet, with both being in a pretty tense mood now, as they realized something. This was a longer known fact, but they didn't dare spelling it out, because they couldn't afford weakness, so they kept quiet about it, but now, they have just proven their vulnerability, even with the assistance of their unconventional source of power.

"We knew it for much longer, but it's about time, that we get real with ourselves, shouldn't we Jun?"

"It's one of those times, were the agreement comes from both of us."

"Yeah. Seems like having a Devil or Angel Gene isn't such a big deal breaker after all. We can still get gravely wounded by simple bullets, should we not watch our back. If it weren't for our wings, we'd remain as mortal as an average human being. We may recover faster and remain much more efficient, but it still takes time and we simply don't have that luxury in times of crisis. From now on, let's remain on our toes. If all it takes to unable us, is just by blocking out our wings, our critical means of transportation and protection, then we cannot allow any major screw ups."

"Agreed. And I fear, we might encounter more of these guys, the deeper we plunge into this hell hole. If it weren't for our teamwork, each one of us would be done for."

"Indeed. Now let's go. Whoever is already down there, I doubt he or she will give us any room or time to waste standing here."

"Let's get a move on!"

Both nodded, before running inside...

Once they got deep inside the cavern, which was still lit by multiple torches lined up across their path, a penetrating heat came quite almost literally, like a slap to their faces. Jun was the first to react to it, with Kazuya seeming a little distressed for some reason.

"Phew, is it hot in here... but I guess, that's to be expected, since we are entering the cavern of a dried up volcano. If this was really the place, where your mother's bloodline used to reside in, I don't want to know how they were able to cope with this heat, day in and day out."

However, she was met with silence as a response on the Mishima's behalf, giving her a reason to be worried now.

"Kazuya?"

But the mood quickly changed to a more comical one, as Kazuya had just taken a look down below and what he saw, was magma. Just the mere sight of this liquid made his heart skip one or two beats, giving him more than one bad memory.

"Jun... I just want you to know one thing about me: I. Hate. Volcanoes. And that is ALL you need."

"Wow, from the sound of it, you seem to possess quite the troublesome history with a fiery mountain, am I right?"

"Shut. Up. It's not funny. Just looking at this makes me all kinds of angry...!"

He really hated to be reminded of what he went through, being thrown down into the burning pit of a red mountain, at the hands of his father. To ease up the mood, she gently patted the Karate champion on the shoulder, smiling innocently, while giggling.

"Hehehe. No worries, we will get through here, safe and sound. Leave it all to me, if you are too much of a scaredy-pants to make the first step forward."

"Grrr... she is not taking this seriously, is she? Alright. Fine."

He followed suit and both made their way downstairs, heading straight for the core of the temple, that lies within the mountain. With every step they took, the heat became more and more unbearable to carry. And it was only getting worse from here. Not too long after a while of following the path, that had been presented to them, they reached quite a large gate made of stone. But the moment they passed through two pillars, completely out of nowhere, the path behind them gets blocked off by large spikes, that jumped out of the ground.

"Huh?! What now?"

"Jun, look out!"

He quickly pulled his lover away, just barely dodging an attack from one of the stone statues, which had just swung its huge blade at her. The gargoyle, made entirely out of rock, came to life, with the help of some dark red energy, which shined through its two gaping eye sockets. Both heroes went into their stances, ready for action.

"I suppose, my family's ancestors don't seem to recognize me... not that I ever met a Hachijo aside from my mother to begin with, but it's clear as crystal, they weren't prepared for visitors like us!"

"Save the jokes for later, we have to stop this thing from going on a rampage!"

"I don't need you to tell me that!"

And already, the stone statue was swinging its large blade at them with the two heroes barely escaping the pretty formidable range of its signature weapon of choice. And aside from its snail like speed in movement, the length and broad shape of the sword made it tough for them to evade, as it swung with such precision, it was almost a miracle. However, despite its strength, it remained pretty slow, giving them enough time to figure out a strategy. And it consisted of this: Jun jumping up just in time, to land on top of the flat part of the blade and climb to the statues' head, distracting its attention away from Kazuya, who shall become busy charging up for a counterattack of the proper kind.

"For a giant made of rock, your brain, if you even have one, has a good chance of being made of the same material... meaning you are way too simpleminded for comfort!"

The monster then swung its blade at Jun and as planned out, she took the opportunity to jump by gracefully backflipping and landing, very precisely, on the currently flat blade, which the stone colossus took pretty big offence to and decides to punch or shake her off of him, but it only ended up hurting itself, breaking its own blade in half, before Jun took the initiative and wrapped her legs around the monster's head, blinding it and making it unable from doing anything...

"Kazuya, now!"

"I live for this part!"

The Mishima then starts spinning across the floor with multiple Hellsweeps, slowly gaining in on the beast, before doing a Spinning Uppercut on it, hitting its chest dead on with such force, it made the abnormality unstable... before eventually crumbling and collapsing in on itself. We then see him and Jun doing a high five together, nodding to one another in approval.

"Our teamwork just gets better and better, don't you think?"

"No doubt. We are always in synch. We are practically one body and one mind. Once we team up, everything just seems to go down more smoothly than before. Even I am astonished."

"Me too. Is this supposed to tell us something, hmm?"

"Yup. Maybe... but apart from that..."

His gaze then fell upon the door in front of him. This huge stone gate, that seems to be the only entrance to their destination. Both of them approached it, with the Mishima feeling slightly distressed now, which can be told by his now deadly serious expression, making his partner in crime worry for him, since she can tell... he is hiding something from her and now wants to let it all out to spill the beans. Both looked at the gate more closely now. And they noticed things, at least out of the ordinary. A red pentagram, with a burning torch in the center of it and outside of the pentagram, being strange little figures with angelic looking wings, seemingly appearing to be "praising" the dark lord, that is Satan. And below that, were two circles, carved into the volcanic rock. Merely inches from one another, were one, a painting of a skull with devilish horns and flames surrounding it and next to it was a painting of angelic wings with a ring over them. Both could only guess, what this meant. And Kazuya had to break it down to her.

"This door right here... is the reason, why I wanted you to come with me."

"What? Really?"

"Remember back in Hong Kong, where I said, that I have made some of own research on the Hachijos? Well, now is the right time, to reveal a little more about them, now that we are here. You see this pentagram? And these angelic looking people surrounding it? This, is what makes the family of my mother, quite the subject of intrigue."

"If I was to interpret all this, with no knowledge of what we are currently dealing with... wouldn't that mean... that the angels are supposed to represent the Hachijos? And that they are praising Satan? But, this by itself, sounds kind of contradictory. Belief is one thing, but the devil and angel remain the Ying and Yang, they aren't really one and the same. And yet, this proves me otherwise..."

"Trust me, your confusion is all too understandable. That was my reaction too, when I took a deeper look into it. But this is nothing, because it only gets worse. And apparently, as far as my newly acclaimed knowledge goes: The Hachijos are supposed to be the japanese representatives of the Archangels."

For the first time in her life, Jun's jaw legitimately dropped in disbelief, not really knowing what to say. This is the most ludicrous thing, she has ever heard in her time on earth.

"Archangels?! Heh, you're pulling my leg here! But, are you serious?"

"I wish I was lying, but so it seems, it doesn't change nothing. It's the truth. My mother's bloodline is regarded as "the line of mankind's holy guardians", just like the Archangels in other religious believes. The Hachijos though, have a unique distinction: They are in the acceptance of light AND dark. Which very basically means, they possess both the powers of the Devil AND the Angel locked within their hearts. All for the sake of guiding and protecting us all. They are supposed to be on the righteous side of history..."

His looked darkened however, bringing some bad news, that are relevant to their cause.

"...at least, that should be the case. But not anymore."

"So you mean to tell me, that they have been our most loyal protectors and at one point, they disbanded from what they are actually known for?"

"Nobody knows the details, but it can't be denied either, that they have become a shadow of their former selves. But I myself, have somewhat of a hunch, of who could be related to that. The clue here, is my mother, Kazumi. And the Devil Gene."

"Wait... so you're saying, there could be a connection to what happened between her and your father and the Mishima family in general?"

"I don't know myself. Like I said, it's only a theory, a hunch without rock solid merit. However, the more I look back on what I know, about what actually happened in my family... and the fight between my mother and Jin, back at the 7th tournaments... and her words... it just bothers me to no end. Because, a person, that is known for his or her gentle and loving nature, doesn't just suddenly have a heel turn, shortly after. OK, you might say that the Devil Gene could have played a part in that, but it just doesn't convince me enough. Because, again, Hachijos by nature are able to tame both the forces of good and evil, so she should have had an easy time, getting back in line. But apparently, from what I have seen, she doesn't seem to be able to do that..."

"This is a really unusual case indeed... and as far as my own knowledge goes of your family and how it actually felt apart, let me ask this. Are Hachijos also known for... fortune telling abilities of the sort?"

Hearing that, made the Mishima look at his lover, with severe confusion and wide eyes.

"Wait, what? What makes you say that?"

"Well, back then, before our encounter, I happened to have come across an article from an anonymous journalist, who actually interviewed Heihachi in person, wanting to know more about the Mishima's history and how this conflict even came to be. It was pretty juicy, but... the reason I am asking, whether Hachijos are able to look far into the future or not, is because your father openly stated in the interview, that this might have actually been the case, since your mother was talking about him having been a threat for the future. That his lust for power exposed his true colours or something like this... that's why, I have got to ask, is that true? Are Hachijos really in possession of a special ability, that allows them to look into the distant future and determine the alignment of a public person in power?"

However, it got all the more conflicting, when Kazuya revealed the truth, or more likely, his own personal doubts, since he could not remember anything of the sort being noted down in the books, that he read in relation to this organization.

"Umm, not that I know. As far as the books go that I read, they did not really mention anything about my other family having been, a clan of supposed "fortune tellers". The only thing remotely coming close to that, are all these "blood ceremonies", that they held to sense, if the omen has actually gotten darker than usual, but unlike fortune telling, it wasn't particularly specific, like, no hints were to be dropped. The participants were all supposed to rely on their own instincts and even then, it still followed a strict code of honour."

"...Was the assassination of the supposed threat part of that code?"

"Well, in this case, I am not really sure. I mean, it DID say something like "putting the threat out of its misery", but in the form of a secretive kind of killing? I don't know. One thing is certain though: The Hachijos always do research and thorough reconnaissance first, before targeting anyone. They practically function as organization, that works for justice in the shadows, like what I used to do back in the day. Another rule that I found, is that that, if you simply butt in and target someone, without any foreshadowing proof at hand, you are banished from any activities with the clan. And that is what is nagging away at me. Heihachi is a piece of human waste, that thing is clear, there is no arguing it. But at the same time, now knowing of the article you just told me about... it makes me even more itchy."

"You think you're the only one? We basically filled in some of the gaps and the bigger picture is becoming more and more less blurry... dare I ask, could this all have been a mere conspiracy against your family? Because the article also mentioned of Heihachi having confirmed, that your grandfather, Jinpachi, has actually come into an agreement with the Hachijos, because they were suspecting him of future crimes, so to prove his innocence, he allowed them to get involved with him and his practices and they also became loyal business partners... the more I talk about it, I am slowly beginning to understand your feel of unease, honestly... it all feels planned out."

"I see... I think it'd be best, if you were to show me the article later. I am really curious to know more of the details, once we are done here. Hate to say it, but I am now craving to see my father's side of the story. Anyways, back to the topic at hand."

He cleared his voice, before explaining, what needed to be said of the symbols before them.

"Now you see these symbols? One is the satanic one, while the other is the angelic one. Again, I brought you here for a reason. My research has led me to this conclusion. This door here, won't open up to anyone, unless you are a Hachijo, who basically is a twilight kind of individual, or you have two people, with the opposing elements, in this case, light and darkness. Now because I am only able to control darkness, this door wouldn't open, even if I tried. That's why I called for your help. Just put your hand on the divine symbol, while I put mine on the satanic emblem. Ready?"

"Yes. Ready than I'll ever be."

"The moment of truth has come. Let's see if the books were legit."

And with that, both, in-synch, put their hand separately on the symbols. Nothing happened at first, until, a golden and purple light came shining through the seals. The pentagram began glowing red with the torch burning more intensely... until the gate began moving downwards, opening up. And once done, the entrance to the Hachijo Temple, was finally open. The couple began grinning confidently, especially Kazuya, who felt slightly victorious already.

"Today must be our lucky day. I'll bet Bison believed himself to be so smart to just kidnap one of the Hachijos, just to open up the door for him. Not with us. We did this, almost the legit kind of way."

"Come on, let's hurry onward! Who knows how far he has actually gone inside! He may already be at what we are looking for!"

"Right. Let's go."

Both heroes went right through the gate and what awaited them, was a pretty lengthy corridor, with the two getting ambushed along their way, yet again, only this time, it was an onslaught of these small beetle manifestations, like the ones from back in Hong Kong. Now Kazuya was finally able to prove his innocence to her. That these little monsters are not his doing.

"Hey, I have seen these before! Aren't these the same creatures, that were responsible for the 18 killings back in Hong Kong? The ones you called "Chinmoku no Shi"?"

"Congratulations. You win a prize. See? Told you I had no control over them to begin with. These aren't my servants. Nor do I have any means of keeping them in line with my power. If I did, why would they show this kind of hostility even towards me?"

It could not be anymore clear. Kazuya was not telling her a fairytale, after all. He was telling the truth. And the truth was right in front of her. Now she had more than enough proof to delete him off the list of people, she still has to throw behind bars. It made her glad, but that was no time to be gazing in glee, because the beetle-human hybrids prepare to attack.

"Then I have no other choice, but to delete you from the network as "wanted criminal"..."

"Wow, took you long enough!"

Both busted loose and annihilated anything that stood in their way. These beetles might have been deadly to your average human being, but towards people like Jun or Kazuya, they stood no chance and got eliminated fairly quickly. Once the path was cleared, deeper and deeper they two went...

Soon though, what actually awaited them, after a while of walking and fighting their way through... was a huge hall, with even more satanic paintings on the ceiling and across the walls, with another huge door with a satanic symbol on it, lying ahead of them. The room was pretty broad, big enough to fit for an entire audience from a court room. Only with the seats. And the walls were layered behind with different pathways, all ending up against the wall and leading back inside the hall. Ideal for ambushes, because people could actually hide behind the walls and then jump out and start an unexpected offensive. That was exactly what the Mishima began to fear in that moment.

"It's too quiet here... too quiet for comfort."

"Where are the soldiers? And most of all... where is Bison?"

?: "Oh, are you looking for me?"

A very well-timed question indeed, as that moment of silence was not only broken through, by that echoed voice... but also by a huge amount of rifles being locked and loaded, with all tips pointing directly at the heroes, from all different directions. As expected, the Shadaloo soldiers took the environment to their advantage and now, both Kazuya and Jun, are at the mercy of not only the soldiers... but also M. Bison himself, who slowly takes a few steps forward, coming out of a protective portal, which was formed through his own Psycho Power. Even in the face of danger, it gave Kazuya goosebumps to see a strong challenger arrive. He felt quite fired up.

"Bison. To think our paths would cross in a place like this. The birthplace of my mother's kinsmen. You've got some nerve."

"Hahaha, is that so? Funny hearing that from a man, who quite obviously never saw any real value in family. But don't you worry, I won't be here for long."

The Mishima folded his arms, still grinning, confident of him being in the right here.

"Oh, let me guess. You actually just came by to say Hello, right? How considerate of you. All joking aside, what is it exactly that drew you here? I suppose, if men like you come by, it could only mean that they are only roaming about, sniffing up the treasure. The big score, am I correct?"

"You are as sharp as ever. Very perceptive. And quite the precise observation too. Deep within these caverns does indeed lie a treasure. And let me tell you, right off the bat..."

His grin only got wider, as he began shining all purple.

"...since it's connected to you, I cannot allow you to have it."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what lies beyond this door over there? A power, that was once used in ancient times to engulf the entire world in chaos. Making it pay for all its sins. A weapon for eternal retribution. To rid of all human life, that was always regarded as "god's mistake". It goes by one name only... the avenger from the underworld. Dusk."

Both of the heroes stared in shock, with the Mishima being the first to become overconfident again, since he did not and never has feared the evil dictator. But the goal was clear now. This power deserves some further inspection and it's quite obvious, that Bison is not going to let them have it that easily. So there was only thing left to do. Kazuya, bravely took a step forward, with the psycho powered madman lifting his arm to signalize all of his men to retreat their arms to allow him to speak his mind. He could tell only too well, what will follow after this. The thought pumped him up with excitement too. Even more so, once the middle aged Mishima began cracking his neck and his knuckles, getting ready for one heated match.

"Dusk, hmm? That is its name? Very well then. I have made up my mind. Since I cannot allow you to get any further from here on, knowing what you may or may not be up to... I am afraid, you are going to have to get through me first."

Jun was the first to object and grab her man by the shoulder, looking at him with a shocked and really angry look, quite obviously making it clear, she did not approve of what Kazuya was plotting.

"Kazuya, this talk is maddening! Have you any clue of what you are up against?!"

But he had to look at her with an equally pissed look, reassuring her, that everything will be fine, even though he has some doubts himself. The stakes however made it bluntly clear: They cannot let Bison have whatever lies beyond the door. Not trying to fight him would be even bigger madness.

"Stay back, I will handle him! I know way too well, of what I am doing. Sometimes, gambles are necessary for the right cause. So stay out of my way!"

And Jun did as she was told, not wanting any more trouble from him. Bison was impressed by Kazuya's boldness and he was looking forward to a good challenge like him.

"Typical of a Mishima. Always agitated for battle. Both primitive and intensely pompous. Like how it suits you. Although, I do have bring you some bad news, since we are already at it, so pardon me..."

However, he delivered quite shocking message. Something, that'd set the stakes even higher than they already are. An act of betrayal of the contract, so to speak. With his creepy grin accompanying him again.

"...but I already have what I need from here."

"What did you say?!"

"One of my most loyal servants, was kind enough to get in for me and get some of the power from there. I don't need all of it. Only a tiny bit of it. It's more than enough for me. More than enough to complete my project. Seems like your luck has run out. Hahahaha!"

This reveal is what now truly angered the Mishima and set him ablaze on the inside. He got totally fooled into thinking, they weren't steps ahead of them yet. Feeling cheated, he was more ready than ever to demolish his plans and end his life.

"You bastard...! You lied to me, didn't you?! You made it sound like you didn't even enter through yet!"

"Oh really? Why not let the "bee" do the talking instead?!"

Just when Kazuya jumped forward to punch Bison, he got mercilessly kicked away from him, landing right in front of a concerned Jun, who caught him in time.

"Kazuya!"

"What the heck?!"

And when both looked forward, they realized, who it just was to kick the Mishima away from the malicious dictator. And it was no other than Decapre, whose mask is glowing bright pink. From the battle stance she calmly took, you could tell very well, she was preparing for battle herself. That is what the Mishima did not approve of in any way.

"Oh, is that how you keep your promises?! Acting all two-faced first and then sending in someone from your troop to do all the dirty work for you?! Not very reliable, shame on you!"

"Oh please, you have no room to complain about "honour" and "respect". And it's actually the right time. I am going to give you a taste of your own medicine. Now, Decapre! Finish them off."

"Or how about that?!"

Kazuya jumps out of Jun's protective grip, to deflect an incoming energy blade slash from one of Decapre's gauntlets, before allowing the Kazama to bash her head right into combat herself, by catching the Doll by the gauntlets, preventing her from reaching her.

"Kazuya! Go take care of Bison. Leave Decapre to me!"

"Got it. I am counting you."

And thus, the stage was all set. Jun was to fight one of Bison's strongest Dolls, whilst her lover shall become busy with the leader of Shadaloo himself. Both fighters stepped forward, with the middle aged Karate champion sparking all dark blue, with the terrorist leader shining all purple with the purple mist engulfing him in an almost ghost like fashion.

"Don't think I am going to let you get away that easily, Bison!"

"Another suicidal fool, eh? Well then, prepare to die, Mishima!"

Indeed, Kazuya was the first to get in and fight this madman, punching him frontally in the chest, but the second that happened, he teleported away through a warp zone right past him, and it resulted in leaving the Mishima behind, dazed and surprised, before getting delivered to him a brutal knee strike in the backside from no other than Bison, who also grabs Kazuya's ankle during the fall, just to bash him onto the other side. But he was a Mishima, of course, something like that was far from enough to discourage and put him down, so he went right in again, going for a frontal assault, by this time performing a Hell Lancer kick. But like before, Bison makes use of his Psycho Power to evade the Mishima's attack and once again, it all resulted in him getting mercilessly countered. And this time around it consisted of him, grabbing the Karate champ by the head from behind, running across the room with him, dragging his face along, rubbing it against the ground, before throwing him up into the air, firing off a big Psycho Blast form his opened palm, certain that it will hit and do its damage. But Kazuya counters in time, by quickly firing off a devil beam from his forehead eye, gracefully landing back down on the ground, being now somewhat familiar with his moves.

This time, it was Bison's turn to attack. The first thing he does, is speed hovering right towards Kazuya, who began to grin, as he steps to the side to avoid his incoming Psycho Axe, before launching him into the air with his famous EWGF, repeating it for a maximum of three times, before nailing him in mid-air with a hook fist and then sending him into a tailspin, by roundhouse kicking him away. It didn't take long, before the Mishima followed up the attack, by doing a Hellsweep, then a punch from the side, followed by him uppercutting the warlord with his Dragon Uppercut, sending him crashing right into one of the many layered walls.

And the leader got slightly enraged by this, as he breaks through one of the walls, by performing his powerful spinning Psycho Crusher, flying right at Kazuya. But the latter was more or less prepared for that, as he catches the spinning Bison in mid-flight, before throwing him onto the other side to let him crash into another wall.

Meanwhile, Jun was busy dealing with Bison's best trained Doll, Decapre, who made their fight, anything but a walk in the park. Both women clashed and powerfully countered each strike with jabs or roundhouse kicks, before jumping back in a curled up ball form, before jumping at one another again, clashing with their wrists together, causing quite the shockwave. And while they continued the struggle, Jun unveiled a bit of her knowledge on this fighter, since she was actually colleagues with Chun Li. And more often than not, she'd tell her about her close friend, Cammy White, who has her sights set on Bison, wanting to know more about Decapre herself and to find out on how to free her from his control. Being not only colleagues with her, due to both of them working for Interpol, but also close friends, she decided to help out a little. Not only for her, but also Cammy, basically increasing their chances of getting to her, even it's just a small one.

"All thanks to some intel from Chun Li, I do possess a little bit of info on you. And I know, that she and another person called, Cammy, are looking for you. Even if I may not be able to do much for them, I can still at least try to loosen up the mental grip around you."

"Insufficient data to draw conclusion from. I have no relations to them. I have cut ties, ever since I swore total obedience to my master. If you see them, tell them to stop following me. It's just no use."

"I don't think so. If they haven't abandoned you yet, then it means, there is still hope for you. I will try my best to not let them down."

"You are just as much of a fool as them. Running after a goal, that is far beyond their reach. And thus..."

She activates her arm blade, with her mask lighting up in pink, getting ready for the real fight.

"...I have no choice, but to eliminate you just as well. Maybe that will make you realize the position I am in."

"I am not going to die here. And I am going to save you."

"Pointless!"

And this time, the battle took a turn for the worse, as Decapre now began fighting with her energy blade, swinging it at Jun with such ease and agility, she had a tough time keeping up and would often than not, end up getting cut somewhere. As showcased by the bleeding cuts all over her clothing.

But at one point, the Kazama managed a counterattack, by backflip kicking her arm blade to turn it off and allow her to follow it up with a clean combo. First came a Demon Slayer to catapult the general into the air, nailing her in mid-air with two uplifting kicks, before performing an elegant and powerful White Heron Dance with the last kick sending the female soldier into a tailspin, which gets followed up by a striking double flat palm strike, which sends her flying across the ground.

And just when the Doll got back up to swing her arm blade at the middle aged Kazama, she steps slightly back, barely escaping the slash, before using one of her best counters. It consisted of her grabbing her by the arm blade gauntlet, before kneeing her against the ankle, forcing her down onto her knees, then jab her against the neck, before then going low and throw her onto the other side, making her crash right into the wall, hitting some of her own men like bowling pins.

At the same time, the fight between the former G-Corp leader and the Shadaloo dictator keeps remaining hot, as they were also engaged in a struggle of who gains the upperhand to attack next, with punches and kicks landing, but each of them getting countered. And it was then, when Kazuya began to smile in a cruel fashion, catching both of Bison's glowing wrists, which he totally did not see coming...

"Your Psycho Powers are quite handy... but nothing beats the one thing, we Mishimas can be genuinely proud of... our rock solid foreheads!"

"Huh?!"

Before Bison could do anything to avoid the grasp of the Mishima, the first headbutt has already landed on him and the force of that one headbutt was so intense, he tumbled backwards, totally stunned and confused, giving Kazuya more opportunity to continue the combo. The latter then grabs the terrorist leader by the throat, before headbutting him three times, while he was still in his tight grip and ends it, by kicking him disrespectfully away, right into the air. From that point onward, the Mishima had a good spot to fire his beam, so he did and nailed the warlord right through the chest, before jumping up and frontally punching him away, sending him crashing into the door. Feeling victorious, he sped forward and grabbed the Shadaloo leader by the throat, preparing for victory.

"Now then. I think it's about time, you hand the fraction of the Hachijo's power right back over. If you do so, I may spare your life. So... what will you do?"

In the meantime, Jun was still busy keeping Decapre busy, but it looked like she was ready to gain victory herself, as she locked the soldier in place with her angelic stun, making her be trapped in a dark place, before showing up right in front of her, stopping the paralysis and crushing her totally with a simple flat palm strike in the stomach, making her fall on one knee, clutching her tummy in agony.

"You seem to hate to disappoint people. Well, we are on the same page and sadly, I cannot afford to lose, so... please, don't resent me."

She then kneels down, gently putting her hand over Decapre's face, trying to purify her soul in a way to make her come back to her senses, trying to break her free from Bison's curse.

Both heroes seemed to have won... so they thought. As a laugh escaped Bison's lips and all of a sudden, Decapre recovered, as if nothing had just happened, with her mask lighting up and her punching the police officer in the stomach, strong enough to make her fall backwards onto her backside with her eyes rolling back inside her skull from all the pain she endured in that moment.

"What in the-"

And after they heard that laugh, the Bison in Kazuya's grip turned to purple and faded away into thin air and now, the Mishima found himself at the mercy of the real Bison, who had just rematerialized right next to him, pressing his purple glowing hand, the Psycho Reverse, right close to his upper body, before blowing it up in his face, totally wrecking him for a moment there. With his clothes now half gone and burnt and him bleeding all across his entire upper body, the dictator began laughing out loud, much to Jun's raw terror and sorrow.

"Kazuya!"

"Heh, Shadaloo never surrenders to sheer disturbances like you. Much like everyone else, you are nothing, but dirt under my boots. And Devil Gene or not... you are still worthless! Allow me to show you!"

With no means of defending himself, the Mishima found himself getting totally pounded by the head of the Shadaloo organization, who first throws him up into the air, before jumping along, punching him a few times, before teleporting upwards, landing right from above down onto the middle aged Karate champion with his impaling Head Press, stomping down on him two times with the purple mist giving him a power boost.

And right when Kazuya could get the chance to recover. In the moment of desperation, he fires off another devil beam, but this time, the head of Shadaloo was entirely prepared for that, as he opens up a small portal with the movement of only one hand...

"Not today, my friend!"

...and coldly absorbs the blast attack, before firing it mercilessly back at the Mishima, which he dodges in time, but still proved weaker than beforehand, thanks to Bison's ambush. And it resulted in him getting overpowered fairly quickly, because the dictator grabs him by the head, throws him up into the air, going right after him like before, performing an aerial combo that consisting of him doing the Double Knee Press, two times, before repeatedly stomping the Mishima in the face, sending him crashing back down.

Jun wanted to rush to his assistance, with tears forming in her eyes and she shrieked for his name to get him back up to speed, but sadly, Decapre stopped right within her path and blocked her out. Being completely taken advantage of on an emotional level, the Kazama committed the fatal mistake of trying to fire her own beam at the soldier, who activates her gauntlets to slap them together and form a protective energy shield around herself.

"Do not bother. It is futile. You have already lost."

"No! Stay away from my Kazuya!"

"Then you leave me with no choice."

And her beam gets totally interrupted, totally out of nowhere as Decapre then raises her shield to completely deflect the beam and leaving Jun completely wide, before teleporting right in front of her, doing a Spinning Drill Kick, right into her solar plexus... before teleporting again, right behind her to kick her away, teleporting again in front of her, activating her arm blade to focus all of her remaining Psycho energy on her right arm... before finishing her off, by slashing right past her... leaving a lengthy, bleeding wound across Jun's upper body. Not being able to withstand the sudden pain any longer, the Kazama collapses down, unconscious.

"It's over. Your pitiful attempts of redeeming me, have failed, yet again."

Kazuya has seen it all and he became super enraged now, thinking his partner has been taken down for real.

"Jun! You bastards...! You will pay! You will pay, you hear me?!"

"That's right, keep talking big. There is nothing you can do now. And anyhow, you are really starting to waste my time here. Let's finish this. Hehehe..."

He counters a desperate panic attack from Kazuya, which consisted of him firing multiple devilish beams at him, but like before, Bison activates the portal in the palm of his hand to absorb it all and this time, waits for the right moment to strike back. And this time, he baits the Mishima into coming closer, by attacking him frontally, before teleporting away at the last second, rematerializing right behind him... before firing off the beams in one huge purple sphere, sending the Karate champion flying with him screaming in agony, before ending the fight for real, by absorbing his own Psycho Power...

"You are pathetic. Get out of my sight! PSYCHO CRUSHER!"

...and then rotating right into Kazuya, making him brutally crash against the wall with him still bearing right into him, finishing him off for real. Like Jun, he could not cope with all the pain and feel of loss, so he collapsed to the ground himself, no longer being able to fight. And while he was still semi-conscious, Bison doesn't even go easy on him and taunts him one last time...

"Oh, excuse me. Was I being too rude to your family's history? I am sorry. But there goes the saying: Only the strongest invite themselves to additional power. And your family will be quite thankful, since I am obviously more worthy of it than you. Good night!"

...before knocking him unconscious for good, by kicking him in the face.

A little while later...

All we see, is two brave heroes, laying completely motionless, with grave wounds covering them, having suffered total humiliation in battle, not having been able to stop Shadaloo from obtaining the Hachijo's secret source of life energy... it was all over... or was it?

Suddenly, the door's satanic emblem began glowing red...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	14. Mankind's Darkest Hour

**Chapter 14: Mankind's Darkest Hour**

Silence...

Nothing, but pure silence, with the shadows lurking around every crevice. Both Kazuya and Jun, who had tried their hardest to prevent Shadaloo from reaching the "other side", but failed, laid unconscious in the hall, that was like a connection to the gate, that supposedly lead to the core of the Hachijo Temple. Having failed their mission, even in their sleep, the guilt weighed down on them heavily.

And as they slowly regained their consciousness, with Jun having been the first to do so, they had to admit defeat, with the Mishima only doing so, reluctantly. While his love was treating his wounds, he growled to himself, feeling quite the humiliation from his loss, which began to seep out.

"Bison, you filthy rat...! Next time when we meet, I will personally arrange an "honourable" funeral for you!"

"Kazuya. Enough. He is gone now. No point in further dragging this out. It's already problematic that we failed in our task of stopping him."

"I know, I know... but still, it's really irritating me. I could have won. Ever the cheater. And here I thought, as a side note, I was the master of faking death, but nope. He just had to steal my medal."

He had to clench his teeth together, as Jun cleansed his open cuts with some alcohol.

"But wait, didn't he mention something about a being called "Dusk"? Did he actually mean the power itself, that lies beyond the door?"

However, Jun has grown pretty tired of this place already, so she wasn't really listening. Not only was the brewing heat inside this cavern, killing her, but she was already at it at forming a Plan B in her head and it involved abandoning this place to return back to Hong Kong, just to inform Chun Li (because of her close ties to Cammy's military unit, which already has been on Bison's heel for so long) about this and get the support going of tracking Bison down, who was now in possession of a fraction of the Hachijo's power source.

"Look, no matter what it is, I don't care anymore. Can't you see? We lost. And Bison has gained hold of the power, we were looking for in here. Who cares about what its called now? We have to go back to Hong Kong and warn Chun Li. If we do this, she and Cammy will handle it from here on out."

The middle aged Karate champion looks at his love with an unimpressed look, feeling as if she is just pissing her pants out of fear right now.

"Then what? In case you forgot, this whole temple here, is still remaining part of my family's ancestry. And if it weren't enough, the Hachijos themselves, seemed to have quite the dirty blood on their fingers, most likely even the innocent kind. There is still so much stuff, that we don't understand and it slowly starts to make the impression, as if a conspiracy had been formed against the Mishimas for a very specific purpose, that we still have to figure out."

Jun sighed in desperation, as he was being stubborn again and she is insisting on wanting to stick to her own plans. But since she can't leave Kazuya alone here and he is deadset on getting in, regardless of whether she approved or not... what other choice did she have?

"Look, Jun. This is important. Not only for the sake of everyone, but also for myself. I want to see this... "thing" with my own eyes. It involves also me wanting to see, what kind of people my other kin were involved with, that made them lose sight over their previous goal in life. The answer may be awaiting us in there. We have to go."

At last, Jun gave in and decides to stick with her lover's plan, as she refuses to let him go off, completely on his own. But she also remembered something important: It's still Kazuya's family. And they may already know the details about the Mishimas, but with some certain facts coming to light, it began to shed a more supportive light on the theory, that they might have been merely puppets in a rigged game of trickery. And also, family comes first, of course he'd like to know more about the Hachijos, who wouldn't want to know more about the other half of a family, that you know the least above all? If she was in his position, she might have remained stubborn herself.

"Well, then I can pretty much save up all the effort of convincing you otherwise. It's your family we're dealing with, after all... and understandably, you would like to know more about them and what they previously stood for. You have my sincere sympathy."

"Thanks, but, save that up for later. We still got work left to do."

"Of course."

"And... I think it's best, if you let me treat your wounds next, before we go. We may never know, what kind of nasty shocker awaits us in there."

"Go right ahead. I can take the pain."

And thus, the Mishima went on right ahead to treat his girl's injuries next. With the remaining bandages used up, both got up and continued onward, towards the gate. And like before, the door was locked with two symbols, one satanic and one divine. The procedure was exactly the same as before. Both used their powers in unison and like at the entrance, the torch lights up and the pentagram starts glowing red... with the gate lowering down, opening up to them. But what they got the see, was completely uncalled for. Pure blackness, with a red light, shining in the far distance, almost like a star in the night sky.

"It's do or die, I suppose. Let's rather not lose sight of this red star, or whatever this is."

Both nodded and entered through the gate...

We went from unbearable heat... to now unbearable coolness. Both began shivering, as a cool wind slapped right past them. It didn't help, how this tunnel was so dark, if it weren't for the star, you wouldn't even be able to see your hand before your face, with how dark it was.

"This doesn't make any sense. We are inside of a volcano. How is it so ice cold in here? I should have taken a coat with me, damn it..."

"In case you forgot, the last eruption of this fiery mountain dates back to the 18th century and it hasn't blown up since then. And aside from that, the temple here was built, according to the book, not too long after the blazing explosion. They must have constructed it all in a way, that allowed the heat to escape around it, to not turn this place into some kind of boiling pot."

"The sudden shift in temperature though remains jarring..."

"Agreed. But that shouldn't stop us. We are getting closer... don't back out now."

And with that in mind, both heroes made their forward. And even with Kazuya's encouraging talk, even he had to admit, that this ice cold air around them is truly unpleasant to the core. They have been walking for quite some time already and by that point, it just appeared to them, as if the light is not getting any closer. Already, the two grew to become the sceptics.

"One question. Is this supposed to happen?"

"What?"

"Have the books ever mentioned something about the power source being literally "unreachable"? I do want to know, how Bison pulled that off, by getting to feel it, let alone touch it... we have been walking for god knows how long and we aren't drawing any nearer... well?"

"Now that you mention it..."

A silence kicked in between the two. But then, it made click in the Mishima's head and he closed his eyes, stopping very abruptly in his tracks, with Jun bumping right into him, wondering what he was planning on doing. At this very second, Kazuya was making use of his extended senses as a Devil, sensing energy sources around him without even using his human eye sight. Then, without warning, he fired off his forehead beam right into the blackness... until it struck something, that caused it to light up in a purple light. A satanic symbol. And it absorbed his energy, illuminating a bit of the path ahead of them. More specifically, it highlighted all the spots, that were trap holes. But it wasn't enough.

"I got an idea. Jun, close your eyes and see, if your ascended senses can feel any angelic emblems nearby. Then fire at them with your beam."

"Right at it."

She followed his example and closed her eyes to rely on her more external senses to seek out for angel symbols... and sure enough, she did and she fired off a beam of her own, right at it, causing the emblem to light up in a golden shine, illuminating the tunnel from above with a light, comparable to that of the sun's. Now, the order made sense to them. Especially after taking a closer look into the trap holes. And the sight they were presented to, almost gave them a heart attack: It weren't just any trap holes. They were quite literally black holes. Once you fall, there is no return for you. You will be sucked in, right into the abyss, with no way back. And the angelic symbols simply granted them with a better sight, which could only mean: Above them is heaven and below them is hell. This realization made the two stare with widened eyes, especially Jun.

"This really is the tunnel, that separates the human world from this ungodly place... a place, where both heaven and hell clash together. That means, whatever lies ahead of us... must be the manifestation of mankind's deepest desires."

"So being in the acceptance of both light and darkness, means, whatever it is that we wish for... it all comes together right here, at this very moment. The war of the Mishimas has taken quite the toll on this world and its inhabitants... so I fear for the worst yet to come."

"Me too. To think, the books weren't speaking nonsense, after all."

Both became uneasy. And it was noticeable in Kazuya's tone.

"Let's go..."

With that said, both sped forward, avoiding the traps, repeatedly shooting at the symbols to keep the light up, until they reached a dead end.

But what awaited them at the end of this corridor, was nothing, anyone would have ever predicted to find. Not in their wildest dreams, would they ever get a sight as... threatening as that. Right before the alter of blood sacrifices, was standing a shadowy figure, who had the same body shape like the average human being. But it most definitely was not human, despite the appearance. Alarm clocks set off in both of the lovers' heads. Especially Kazuya's, since he realized something: This being before their very eyes, was the exact same shade, that he saw in his dreams, the one, that called out for his name, before the murders would take place shortly after.

"What...?! What are you?!"

"..."

"What is that thing, blocking our path?!"

"Jun! Stay back!"

"Huh?!"

"There is no doubt about it. This is the guy. This is the shadow, that invaded my dreams, right before the victims would find death at the hands of the Chinmoku No Shi."

"Really?!"

But then, their confusion got interrupted by an echoing, whispering voice, that silenced their rambling right on the spot. And the voice must be coming from that creature right before them.

"I have been waiting for you... Kazuya Mishima... just in time..."

The latter got immediately into his fighting stance, glaring at this unknown entity, making it clear, that he is not trusting it one bit.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name? Answer me!"

The shadow began to chuckle ever so softly and creepily...

"Hehehehehe... who I am? Come on now, don't act like you don't remember... and I expected a lot more from your mother... tsk, tsk, tsk... she never gets anything right, now does she...?"

As he was getting slightly closer, even Jun went on the defensive and steps back a bit with Kazuya following suit, which only served to make the Mishima even angrier, just to hide his inner fear of this thing, as it was already starting to freak him out.

"You know my mother?!"

"Yes, indeed I do... as a matter of fact, what you see before you... is all, that your mother SHOULD have become... but because she simply didn't understand the external capabilities of her power... she proved worthless, even for me... what, did you think the Hachijos would ever have use for a softie like her...? How pathetic... she was a good-for-nothing... that is what she was..."

"Kazuya. What is that thing talking about?"

"I don't know. But as it seems, my mother must have played a part in the conspiracy. Judging from what you told me, and looking at whoever this is supposed to be... something tells me, that this monster may owe us some answers, whether he likes it or not."

Both got ready for battle. Which only amused this unknown shadow.

"What...? You plan on challenging me, Dusk, the messenger of the Archangels, to a fight...?"

Both heroes froze up, once they caught wind of its name. This is the monster, that Bison was talking about. Many shivers were felt by the duo and even the Karate champion began to feel fear, which he had a tough time covering up this.

"So then... you are Dusk?!"

However, being fully charged for combat himself, the shadow now began hovering above the ground...

"Ha ha ha... why did I expect anything more than that...? You Mishimas are daring... your reputation proceeds you and your family... but you know something...?"

Suddenly, we get a disturbing zoom on this monster's now freaky, shit-eating grin, with time and space freezing up.

"...seeking me out, was your gravest mistake!"

And before anyone could guess, both Kazuya and Jun found themselves, no longer in the corridor, but somewhere else. This location seemed like a floorless step, with the horizon being painted all red, white and black mixed together. It looked like a fever dream.

Then, we see the shadowy Dusk descending down from above, right before them, maintaining that wide smirk of his.

"Prepare to feel the wrath of my ancient kinsmen. Since Kazumi failed the task miserably, even with my undying assistance, I think it's about time to do away with you eyesores. Starting with you!"

He pointed at Kazuya, before ascending and starting to curl up in a ball in mid-air, before darting back like a shooting star, far into the deep horizon to become one with the gaping, white hole in the far distance. And what came out of it, was an oversized shadow, this time, undoubtedly shaped like a baby, only ten times as large. And it landed right in front of the two adults, with them looking quite weirded out of their mind, since they expected anything, but that. However, they quickly came to realize something: This was meant to be symbolic. Both could feel, that even with this dark force having almost limitless potential, it still hasn't reached full power yet. Now, it was on. And the Karate champion was making the announcement, accompanied by him cracking his knuckles and neck, all at the same time.

"Fine then. Since you don't seem to be making the impression of you wanting to cooperate with us, I got an even better idea. Why not just beat the answers out of you then?"

"For once, I am all on your side with this. Now I am fully convinced of your innocence. As such, expect even better stronger support from me."

Even with their lives, most likely, being at risk, he had to grin at her, while also delivering some bad news to her.

"Tsk, not like you have a choice, either way. I mean, we are trapped here. And it's blatantly obvious, that he wants something from us. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have gone through all the trouble of sending us here."

"...True. Which only raises the scale of the stakes."

Then, we see the two heroes, standing back to back, getting into their fighting stance. Dusk simply laughed at the prospect. He may not be a full power, but even in his hatched form, he is still far from a pushover.

"Let's see what I can do about this. We may need to nip this nuisance in the bud."

Both sped forward, going separately in circles around him, trying to break this monster's defence from any direction. Punches and kicks fell in galore, but each strike got blocked, with the infant-shaped creature using hovering crystals to counter their hits, whenever they were supposed to land on his body and it got to a point, where he changed strategy and crossed his arms, only to spread them back wide open, just to create a powerful explosive wave, just to shake the two fighters off of his tail.

And to continue testing and observing the waters, both heroes got at it again to go for a frontal assault, only this time around, they would exchange directions counter clockwise. They threw themselves at this beast, hitting it with the best shots they got, but much like before, Dusk remained on the defensive. He did not take any risks, so he laughed and went like:

"What? Get a little more creative now! This isn't any fun!"

Before again, like before, using a faint, but still strong enough explosive wave to knock the two back. They recovered fairly quickly though, as they decided to go for Plan B.

"OK. Frontal attacks on the ground, bad idea. But is it a good idea... to do it airborne?"

He gave Jun a sign and thus both grew out their wings to fly up in the air and start attacking from above Dusk's head. And this time, they actually managed to catch him off guard, since the crystals weren't quick enough to react to this ambush and it resulted in the malicious entity getting delivered quite the painful combo, being knocked forward to trip and fall flat on his face. A small victory, but it was still counting as one, and thus, it only gave the two the opportunity to attack again, while he is down and out. They shot their forehead beams right into his backside, but as expected, the monster quickly turned and let the crystals do the job of defending him, with the lasers causing an explosion on impact with the shield of crystals.

But they weren't running out of options yet and thus, it came down to them firing their beams again and again, as they wanted to test, whether the crystals were destructable or not. And because Dusk didn't make any signs of going on the offensive anytime soon, why wouldn't they try it out?

"OK, Plan C. Let's focus on these accursed crystals. Let's get rid of them. Because he is relying on them way too much, it could only mean, that he is indeed still weak to fight properly."

"Agreed. We cannot take any chances. Let's go!"

And as such, it was decided. Both flew straight down at Dusk, starting an array of combos with their fists and feet, hitting the rock solid crystals as hard as possible, just to get them to crack. But it didn't seem to show any effect, no matter how hard they tried. And like always, Dusk played it safe and refrained from attacking them, beginning to erupt in a hearty laughter at their desperate attempts of managing a breakthrough of his defensive line of crystals.

"Please, what are you buffoons doing? Can't you see? These crystals aren't your typical kind. They are made out of raw, negative emotions, they cannot be wrecked by anything physical! Now off with you!"

This time, they were spared from the explosive wave and got time to retreat and devise a new plan. Both lovers looked at one another, reading each other's minds to not raise any suspicion of their new plan, as they were processing Dusk's words.

"What was that again? "Raw, negative energy"? Is he saying, that these crystals are made from negative, human emotions?"

Looking back, Kazuya nodded in agreement, as Azazel came to mind. That monstrosity was locked out from the outside world and the only reason, why it managed to break free, was because of the previous, global conflict between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G-Corporation. As a direct result of their actions, it began taking shape, as the collective consciousness of mankind's darkest desires. And that was Azazel.

"Could be the case... after all, Azazel had been formed through the exact same basis, reminiscing of my war with Jin in the 6th tournament..."

"It's only a theory, I don't expect this plan to really work out... but what if there is a way to neutralize these things, without even relying on close combat?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's only rational that you can't fight violence with even more violence. So I say, we should just change our approach to this fight altogether. Let us rip down his defence, by openly showing positive emotions."

"Showing positive emotions? And how do we do that?"

"Watch me."

Jun retracts her wings, with a really gentle and loving smile forming on her lips, with her spreading her arms too, almost as if she wants to hug someone. That was slightly unsettling to watch, remembering their situation, but if Kazuya was to define "positive", that gesture most definitely had well-meaning intentions, even with the enemy in sight. However, what then left Jun's mouth, began to weird him out and he wasn't the only one... Dusk looked just as confused as he.

"Hey now, aren't you such a good boy? Come over here and join us. We won't hurt you. You can trust us."

"Jun, are you nuts? There is no way this is going to-"

Just in that moment, Dusk began groaning in agony, clutching his head, before his body colour turned from dark purple to milky white, with black pupils. And the sounds that this thing made... it no longer sounded like Dusk. More like, a real baby, who was cheerfully squealing... only ten times as large. This huge infant then started slowly approaching the couple, with Jun looking even happier than before. Kazuya, on the other hand... what needed to be said? He was freaked out. Seeing such a monster suddenly becoming submissive and obedient, with the monster also having the appearance of an oversized child, no less... he was legitimately speechless.

"Not in my wildest dreams, would I ever have had the "honours" of seeing something as creepy as this..."

Thinking that, was exactly what caused the baby suddenly to turn all black again with Dusk being in the lead, once more. He shook his head, growling to himself.

"Ugh! What did you do?!"

"Kazuya!"

He quickly got snapped back into reality, hearing Jun's scolding voice, yelling at him.

"Wha- what now?! Don't tell me it can read minds too!"

"I can do the same and what you thought right there, please, keep it down for the time being. Join me in trying to tame this thing already."

"Fine, I'll do it! Not like I have a choice!"

"Oh, don't you- ahhhh!"

Kazuya retracted his own wings, this time, joining his love into pampering this thing with loving words. It felt awfully foreign to him to be making compliments to something, that resembled a real infant. And at the same time, it did not feel so... terrible. What'd explain this shift in tone, is how the Mishima never had the opportunity to hold Jin in his arms, when he was still a baby. Then, with the comforting words, came feelings of guilt over him.

"Come on, little fella. We have all the time in the world, if you want, we have time to spare to even play with you a little. So what do you say? Feel like joining us?"

"It's OK, my dear. We don't bite. We just want to hold you close."

The longer they made use of that tactic, the closer the baby got and soon, both stayed true to their word and like mommy and daddy, they went right in to hug the child. ...despite the awkwardness. But because of its size, they only could wrap their arms around its own two huge ones and luckily for them, there was no malice and the crystals didn't show up to push them back again.

Both knew all too well, this baby wasn't real and it was Dusk, only looking like that, because he hasn't attained his full strength yet and still... both of their hearts sank. Especially Jun's, as this gave her a Déjà-vu of some sort. She had to remember, how she was the only one, raising Jin to become the strong youngster he was today. The fact alone, that her lover never had a chance to watch his own flesh and blood grow up... it broke her heart and yet, this was still counting as "positive" emotion, as very deep-rooted love came to show itself through her gestures in that very moment. She was now telepathically communicating with Kazuya, gazing over to him with a really saddened look, which got her the response she expected: A slightly melancholic looking Kazuya.

"It's strange... this is our enemy, the hazard that we have to put a stop to and yet, why is this thing still tormenting me, even without doing anything...?"

"Could it be, that you are very upset about me not having been there, when Jin was just hitting his "golden primetime"?"

"I can't deny it. You really missed out on something, love... you have no idea, how happy it'd be make me to be reunited with our pride and joy again."

He cringed slightly at the word "our", but in the end, he made a promise to her and he was not someone to go back on his word. So he nodded his head in approval.

"I am not so sure for myself... but for what are second chances there, right...?"

"Yes..."

Both remained like that for a little while, but as always, it wasn't to last for long, as totally out of nowhere, the monster baby began shrieking in animalistic rage. But it didn't sound like a baby's cry anymore, it sounded like that of an enraged dragon, meaning Dusk was behind the wheel again. Kazuya and Jun retreated back, with Dusk charging straight at them, with rage flaring up in his pupils.

"You are going to pay for this insolence with your lives!"

"Jun, now!"

"You got it!"

He came charging straight at them, but they were quick to be using their wings again to evade his bodycheck, flying up into the air, with him ending up falling flat on his face, again. And just when he was about to summon his crystals, instead of using them to defend himself, he decided to now go on the offensive. Even if it meant risking to lose against them, since he isn't fully buffed to maximum power yet. So there he goes, firing his crystals at them like projectiles and he summoned a good deal of them, firing them off like a machine gun barrage.

"You are not getting away! Get a load of this!"

He ends up catapulting more crystals at them, with the two heroes doing their best in dodging or countering them with their parries. Soon though, Kazuya struck one of the crystals with a well-timed backfist and the second it happened, it shattered to a million pieces upon impact. And he grinned in pride, knowing that Jun's plan actually worked. The latter, being quite pleasantly surprised herself.

"So the weirdness was in our favour, huh?"

"He actually got weaker... who would have thought?"

"You know what this means."

"Of course."

The dark entity was shocked to see his own weapon being so easily overpowered by them with just one really destructive blow. He had to admit, that he screwed up, but he refused to do so, with his pride getting in the way.

"This is simply impossible...! This was not supposed to happen...! Don't tell me, them dominating me with love is what gave them this strength to break my babies to smithereens...! Grrr, curses, curses, curses...!"

He charged up for one more barrage of crystal shots, that all began appearing out of the ground through small portals, refusing to accept his failure. To which both Kazuya and Jun responded, with them gathering up energy, as their backs connect and they entwine their hands together, preparing for a devastating team blow.

"Let's go, Jun! Let's gamble, shall we?!"

"Here it comes!"

"Big mistake!"

They were both ready, as they began to glow all black and white, with chaotic white and black sparks surrounding them, turning them into a twilight sphere. And just when the crystals got fired, they slowly gathered up momentum as they spinned in a circle, before catapulting downwards like a comet, with hellish purplish flames surrounding them, turning them even more into a falling star of doom. And they became so fast, the crystal became practically useless, as they just shattered, just by coming in small contact with this blazing sphere. With no defence at his disposal, as the final effort to shield himself from his attackers, he gathered up energy...

"No... I can't lose to trash like you...! Out of my way!"

...causing quite the strong explosive wave to be sent off, as his last resort of defence. The shockwave that came from the clash between the barrier and the two lovers with their combined forces... if they were to fight in the real world, they would have created a crater, so steep, it could be used to dig deeper into the earth to reach the scorching hot core of the planet. The struggle became real now, as both powers refused to give in, but in the end, with Dusk still not being strong enough, he could not hold up the explosive wave for long and soon, both of Jin's parents managed a demolishing breakthrough, smashing right into Dusk's lower body, rotating right into him, while also setting him ablaze. In the end, all three reached an invisible barrier and the two heroes finished their nemesis off, by punching him simultaneously, still with their backs connected. Once the deed was done, both gracefully landed back on the ground, feeling quite content with themselves and their efforts. Even more so, once they caught glimpse of the monster baby disintegrating into thick, black goo.

Jun went right in to wrap her arms around her lover's shoulders, kissing his cheek in glee, feeling glad, that they made it out of this without too many scratches. Even the Mishima could not hide from his satisfaction... albeit being disappointed too, since he still wanted to know a thing or two about his own family. But if he had to be honest to himself, he grew to understand, that maybe it's for the better, that they remain obscured. Just having seen, what kind of force they dealt and what it truly represented... it made him feel glad, that they were able to stop it in time, so that it won't ever fall into the wrong hands. They already failed once. So to make up for it, having been able to destroy the source of all their problems, could count as the compensation price for their hard work.

"We made it, didn't we? Deep down I knew, once we work together, nothing can stop us."

"You're right. Although... I still desire some answers from this abnormality. He owes us big time, especially me."

"I still have the articles, maybe there will we find more hints. After all, if it weren't for that one specific journalist, we both would have been wandering in total blackness. But now that the main culprit is dealt with, I honestly see no reason to be concerned, other than worrying more about Bison, since he still is in possession of a fraction of this beast's energy."

"I don't do it very often, but I find myself agreeing with you on that for a change. The only problem is though... how do we get out of here? We're in limbo. There is no door that I could see. And all my eyes register is a never ending fever dream. So how we are going to do it?"

Both then froze up, once they heard a bone-chilling voice, piercing through their eardrums.

"Oh, you are already taking your leave? Just when the fun was about to start?"

"What in the world-"

It was Dusk speaking... and just when anyone could take a guess, of what came next, the damage has already been done, as Kazuya turned his head, right in the direction of his Kazama partner, who found herself completely engulfed in the black goo. She tried fighting it, but it began spreading all over her body and made its way inside her system, through the still fresh and open wounds under the bandages and other small flesh injuries. Her screaming got also silenced by this monstrous goo, even entering through her mouth and it all results in Jun, basically drowning in this slime. Kazuya went in to catch her hand, but he missed her, by a hair. The Mishima had to watch helplessly, how his love disappeared within Dusk's own slime. Frustrated, he smashed his fist to the ground, getting down low and pressing his face against the ground, praying for her to forgive him, that he couldn't save her in time.

"No...! Jun...! I-I couldn't do it...!"

But he had no time mourning, as things just took a turn for the worst. He saw a figure, slowly rise out of the black goo and it was no big surprise, that it was Jun herself. She looked the same, as if she had never entered the goo, with the exception that... she was no longer the Jun, he used to know. The warm aura she had, the one, that made him feel oh so at ease, was no more. And just when he was about to approach her, a wide and sadistic grin formed on her lips with her eyes lighting up in a red light, resulting in him getting the short end of the stick, by getting hit brutally in the stomach, with an elbow strike from her. It sent him flying, but he had enough time to recover, using his wings with precise execution. He immediately returns to his fighting stance, watching in horror, as his love helplessly succumbed even more to the darkness.

"Quite the pleasurable sight, am I right, Mishima?"

This voice... unbelievably, it all came out of Jun's mouth, only that this time, her voice has been twisted around to sound more like Dusk, rather than herself. It all became clear, that Dusk is now in possession of the one and only woman, that the Karate champion had ever truly loved with all of his heart. Refusing to succumb to his will and play by his dirty rules, Kazuya growled, with his rage reaching a whole new level, mixed in with feelings of loneliness, abandonment and hopelessness.

"Why you...?! What have you done to her, you bastard?!"

"Oh, all I simply did, was rob you of your last glimmer of hope. And just seeing your desperation, being basically plastered all over your face, oh, what delight! There is nothing better! And here comes the best part, that may allow me to sleep the best at night..."

She said, with a hand covering one half of her face, showing a psychopathic grin, as he delivering the disrupting truth.

"...your father had the exact same look on his face, when I took hold of your "precious" mother."

Kazuya was speechless. The bigger picture of Kazumi's true intentions, became even less blurry in his mind. He simply did not know how to put his outrage into words. But just for the fact, that this monster, just took control of his love and it doesn't seem to deny a connection between himself and the incident between his parents... it all came together. So all the wonderful memories he had with his mother, weren't an act on her behalf. The odds certainly were not in Dusk's favour.

"Say what...?! You are not implying, that... my mother had never asked for mine and Heihachi's death... and it was you, who manipulated her into doing such a thing...?!"

"Manipulation, such a terrible word... no, that is not a very suitable description, I believe, that would do better: She neither had the guts nor ever the intention of disposing either of you, so I had to go back on using... "unconventional methods". She was weak. An absolute disgrace to the Hachijo name. We all knew, she wasn't up to the task. So in the end, I was forced to step in one night and put an end to her nonsense."

It was time. Finally, Kazuya shall be getting all the answers, that he so very much desired, ever since they came to this temple. And with every bit of detail leaking out, his rage grew and grew with every passing second. It turned from a sinister hunch... to a mind-blowing reality, which he first considered unlikely.

"She resisted, and that very effectively, I will give her that. No matter what I tried, it was the same trick, every time. To prevent me from taking full control of her, she kept using a Ki lockdown on herself to fall asleep, just to disrupt the growing connection between my power and her inner nerve system. Of course, it also came with the risk of making herself vulnerable to illness, which happened quite often. Your father had grown quite concerned of her safety and had tried everything in his accessible might to find the best possible treatment to keep her safe and sound. It looked bad, it really seemed as if mine and her brother's mission to tarnish the name of the Mishimas, was destined to fail, seeing as how Kazumi just refused to give in... but..."

A chuckle escaped her lips, before it turned into a maniacal laughter, with the latter gazing at the Mishima with pride.

"...oh, how wrong you are. Not willing to accept defeat anytime soon, it all came down to this. And this plan, went without fail. Kazumi's brother, disguised himself as a doctor one night and came by to the Mishima Dojo, to aid in his little sister's "recovery". But it was yet another trap, orchestrated by the Hachijos. And here is a catch, we didn't even need to sneak in, we were welcomed with open arms, with no security holding anyone back. All thanks to the pact, that your foolish grandfather, Jinpachi, made with us, just in hopes of raising income and welfare to keep building up the Mishima Zaibatsu. And as naive as he was, he granted us access to all of his property, being sure of a solid and trustworthy partnership between us. What a senile, old fool! Hahaha! Because all it resulted in, was Kazumi being held captive for a few hours, while Heihachi and you weren't looking... and what her brother did, is what finally gave birth to the primal force... that is me. A part of me was already within her, but since it wasn't strong enough to show its full effects, he saw himself forced, having to inject more of her blood, that was mixed in with my DNA, to finally silence her resistance."

"Grrrr... so it IS true... isn't it...?! My family was just playing a part in your filthy conspiracy against ourselves...?!"

"Conspiracy? How preposterous! Who is talking about a conspiracy here? Her death was just the direct result of your family's blissful ignorance to the whole situation. Can you even recall of your father having told you the tale of how he saved your mother from the Hachijos, when he was still active in the military, during his youth? ...that was a fatal mistake. If only he had known, what he was dealing with. But yes, he only followed orders and even convinced himself to a follow a "code of honour"... her being rescued, was all part of the plan. And because she never knew, what we had in store for her, why we left her behind, nor of what exactly was living inside her... she wouldn't have been able to warn anyone, even if she was to figure us out. Isn't that easy? But what else did I expect? You Mishimas possess the IQ of a mere fish, swimming in a pond. So. very. predictable. And by the way, it was not us, who ruined your family's name... that was all your own doing, especially your father's. Heh... hehehehehe... just the mental image of all of you godly mistakes kneeling down, wanting to be relieved of your sins... that is the most effective way to get rid of scum of your caliber... simply letting you destroy yourselves! Hahahahahahaha!"

Not being able to carry the taunts any longer, he yelled out loud, trying his best to remain calm and collected, albeit still being very angry indeed.

"From where do you possess such knowledge?! What are you, anyways?!

"Shouldn't it be clear by now? And I thought you did all of your homework... well, let us keep it short, shall we? I am simply, what you could refer to as: The child, birthed through the Devil Gene. You may also refer to me as Kazumi's "second" son. The physical manifestation of all of mankind's darkest, selfish desires. The Hachijos created me. I am their eyes and ears. I watch over them and make sure, their will is being executed, even with their passing. It is my god-given duty, to make people of your kind suffer, before they might ever have a chance of turning into the monsters, we failed to stop from coming into being. It just brings unrestrained joy to my heart to see all of you Mishimas, wanting to destroy one another... making threats suffer like that, is the only way to go for all the future misery, that was to follow shortly after... it's not us, who are the bad guys here. It's you and your barbaric family! All the guilt lies on every last member of your kin, nobody else! You got no room to blame me or anyone from my bloodline, since you did most of the work for us!"

Suddenly, Kazuya snapped. He collapses down onto one knee, being totally frozen up in disbelief, as the rage inside him grew to inhumane levels. He lost everything, that he held so dear and close to his heart... he lost it all, to these wannabe deities, who believe, they possess the right to decide over who lives and who dies? He could not get over that, all that he read, was true and he saw with his own eyes, the effects of what happens, if you lose your humanity, just for the sake of self-righteousness, while also developing some form of Messiah complex. It also dawned down on him, now having seen reality, that his mother's love and affection for him, was never an act. That she had always loved him, no matter what and that she had never asked for all of this to escalate. And all the blame he put on his father for having ruined him, vastly disappeared, knowing the true culprit and it put its focus all on Dusk now. But it only added to his internal misery. Remembering it all and with all of these things being no more... he broke down, shedding tears of despair and agony.

"I can't believe this...! Mother... grandfather... Jun... whatever can I do, to make you all come back...?! What did I do... to deserve all this...?! Was this all the fate had in store for me...?! It cannot be...!"

He slowly got up, glaring at the Dusk-possessed Jun, before crossing his arms together...

"You believe yourself to be so untouchable, don't you?! I will make you rue the day you ever got to know my family! Haaa... raaaaaaaaaagh!"

He engulfs himself in a sphere of purple light, screaming out loud like an enraged animal, turning into that horrific devil monster, that you may refer to as Satan-Kazuya, with eyes popping open from his chest, three on both of his unholy-looking wings, on his tail and on his forehead. And in his fury, he flies straight at Dusk-Jun, punching the latter real hard in the face, before flying after her to grab her by the face, only to fly up high into the air, smashing her back down to the ground, before shooting one beam at her from his forehead.

But that wasn't enough. He grabs her by the ankle, only to then throw her high up into the air, following suit, anchoring right into her stomach with a hook-like punch, before headbutting her, to make her fall down, catching her by the ankle yet again, just to throw her higher, as if she were a playing doll, only to then fire tracking laser shots from all 8 eyes on his demonic body. They weren't fully charged and still, the explosion was massive, when these small laser shots came in contact with Dusk-Jun, all at once. And just when the dust cloud settled, he caught the possessed Jun by head, to shoot back down with her, smashing her face straight into the ground with full force.

Kazuya just continued with this really powerful combo, until he decides to go for the big shot, by going for MAX. power, ready to shoot the fully charged eye beams from all over his body, straight at the downed Jun from above. But before anyone misunderstands, he is not targeting his lover here. He wants to torture Dusk, just enough to corner him and make him retreat out of her, before he gets annihilated and this one attack, that the Mishima was preparing, was the big ultimatum.

"One last chance, Dusk! Leave her body now... unless you want to be sent to the underworld with her!"

"..."

"I am already fully charged! It's best you make your decision now, before you make things only worse for yourself!"

He hated himself for having said this, as he wanted to destroy Dusk so bad, but because of his lover being in his enemy's grip, he could not bring himself to really do this, so all he could, was scaring Dusk out of her...

...but in the moment of his own doubts, Dusk-Jun suddenly grinned and stood back up, as if the combo, that had just been delivered to her, was absolutely nothing and in a flash, suddenly, Kazuya felt an unbearable pain, ripping through his entire body, as his beam gets entirely interrupted by Dusk-Jun, before getting kicked downwards with zero effort, crashing straight down, with the possessed Kazama grinning widely.

"My turn."

She then teleports down to catch a falling Satan-Kazuya by the tail from behind, smashing him back and forth, before dragging him closer to herself, flatpalming him effortlessly in the stomach, before performing a backflip kick on him to make him crash flat on his backside. But the recovery was still fairly quickly, as Kazuya jumps back up to shoot a barrage of eye beams at the bad guy, who teleports back and forth, during his approach to reach the Mishima, before nailing him in the solar plexus with a frontal kick.

Still being able to fight, Kazuya and Jun engage in a lengthy clash barrage of punches and kicks, before the possessed Kazama catches him by ankle, just to kick him in the stomach again to stun him, before preparing for a special move, as she gazed at her open palm in bile fascination.

"Oh, this is very intriguing. I didn't realize that Kazamas withheld such magnificent combat potential. Hitting vital Ki spots for total paralysis... well then, you shall have the honour of being my very first guinea pig. Prepare to die."

Stun move, by flatpalming the satanic monster, right in the chest, where his heart was, before pushing him further back, with a finger stab straight to the chest again. She closes her eyes, presses her hands together to focus and try analyzing Kazuya's body, trying to find all of the vital spots, hidden inside his body.

"I can see them... being the spawn of Satan that you are, your power is truly astounding... but unfortunately for you, the Kazamas possess a hidden power to suppress the demons, that try to come out, out of all of us and why would I not want to use this knowledge against you? You left yourself wide open... and this is where it ends, dear friend! It was fun, while it lasted! Sayonara."

As a final and desperate effort, Kazuya tries charging straight at her, but she was quick to react, by ducking lower and during the slow motion phase, she manages to hit all of his strongest vital spots, with two finger strikes, while sliding straight past below him. And then, as Dusk-Jun snaps her fingers, the Mishima screams out loud in agony, as blood sprayed out of all the spots, where he got struck, with him losing his Satan form and collapsing down, semi-unconscious.

Not being able to withstand the feeling of the pain, he began twitching, as Dusk-Jun slowly approaches him, before kneeling down to grin at the bleeding Karate champion in pride, who could only stare at her with anger and frustration being literally written in his gaze.

"What a shameful way to go out, don't you think? And here I was wondering, if this was really your best performance. Oh, excuse me, but I forgot, you still seem to remain in denial about your entire family situation, don't you? If that's so, then maybe, this might help you..."

She slowly climbs on top of him, before starting, totally out of nowhere, to choke the heavily weakened Mishima to death, by strangling him by the throat. Of course, not having the strength to fight back anymore, it all seems hopeless indeed and this time, for real.

"Haha! Humiliating you is just too much! Kazuya Mishima, the greatest martial arts champion, strangled to death, by his own wife! Imagine that being carved on your tombstone, hehe- agh!"

But suddenly, this monster froze up, as Jun returned back to normal for the fraction of a second with Kazuya gaining a moment to catch his breath. Jun had tried all this time, keeping this monster at bay, while it was inside her, but due to the fact, that she was already pretty worn out, even before their match and that her injuries were no longer bearable for her already weakened state, there is now only one option left for them.

"Jun...!"

"Kazuya... it's no use...! We got no other choice, if this monster cannot be beaten and sealed away by my angelic powers alone... then this may be our only chance to still come out of this as the winner... it's risky, but...!"

She shows her razor-sharp fangs, before biting her lover, straight in the throat, as if she was a vampire, wanting to suck his blood. Kazuya, most definitely, did not see that one coming and hurt like hell, however... in this case, she used her extended bite to spread Dusk's goo, like a virus, through Kazuya's body, too. The Mishima was quick to catch up to her plan and he became both pissed and upset at what she has done just now, gently cupping Jun's face with both of his hands.

"Jun, why- why did you do that...?! You should have let me get killed by him, you should have fled, when you still had the chance, damn it-"

Tears ran down her cheeks, as she tightly gripped her lover's wrists, not wanting him to let go of her, as she felt just as upset as he was right now.

"No way! No way... no way in hell, would I have let that happen...! I would have never left you to die here alone...! Never!"

Even Kazuya could no longer hide from his own tears, as they cried in unison, as Dusk even spread through the Mishima's body, slowly showing its effectiveness... with Jun slowly bending forward, cupping his rough face in her own petite hands, pressing her forehead against his.

"You suffered enough, Kazuya...! Remember the promise we made to one another...?"

He gasped, feeling very touched by her deep-rooted loyalty to him...

"Jun... why did you do that...? What will it do, if we let Dusk share two bodies at a time...?"

"That way, he will never reach 100%... since I am able to put him at bay with my powers, gifted by Angel, he won't ever be able reach you, as long as I draw breath... and even then, even with this knowledge, either way... I would have always stayed by your side... and remember, we will be saved, soon enough..."

"By who..."

She leans in closer.

"...by our pride and joy. Jin. I believe in him. Once the time comes, it shall be his turn to save us..."

"If you have so much faith in him... then so will I..."

Both engaged in one last kiss, with the Mishima tightly embracing his lover, before it gets interrupted by Dusk screaming in agony.

"What have you done?! What have you done?! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

We then see the tip of the volcano of Mt. Fuji suddenly being detonated away, with magma spraying everywhere, raining down upon the world around the fiery mountain... and out of the black smoke cloud, we see two figures stepping out... it was Kazuya and Jun. And both had red-glowing eyes, before speaking in unison in Dusk's voice, as they spread their wings:

"...it is time."

THE END


End file.
